Akane Hyakuya, the untold story
by Abbie Blizzard
Summary: Akane's life was changed forever when she escaped Sanguineum. Mourning the loss of her family, discovering hidden powers and being chased by vampires and humans alike. Will she ever be able to reunite with Yuu? MikaYuu - Manga spoilers- Akane centric xx HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my FIRST fanfic and I'm really excited about it! Please feel free to leave comments and critics for me xxx I have reworked this chapter so don't be surprised if it's different from the last time you read it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Seraph of the end**

"RUN!"

This couldn't be happening. No, I wouldn't believe it! A few seconds ago, we had all been walking to our freedom. We were going to escape the vampire city and live together in the outside world!

"Everybody, we have to make a break for it!" Yuu shouted.

I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe.

Mika had said he knew a way out, he had looked into my eyes and promised we would live free of the vampire's rule! He had gone out of his way to steal a map and gun for us! He had done the unthinkable and sold his blood for us! His plan was supposed to work! He had promised me!

"Sprint for the exit!" Yuu's scared face met mine, "Hurry!"

Behind me, my family started sprinting for their lives. Little Ako tripped and stumbled up the stairs, her cute pigtails flopping around in a frenzy! Fumie screamed as she ran, clutching her teddy bear for dear life! Tiny taichi latched onto her free hand. But tiny tai was the youngest of us all, there was no way he could keep up with his sister. His legs tangled together and he fell on the floor like a lost puppy. Kota was the last of us to run. She sprinted past me like a cheetah, her numerous soccer matches on the street finally paying off. I watched, frozen to the spot, as she pumped her arms and pushed her legs to move faster than she ever had before!

"RUN!" Yuu shouted again.

Before I could even think of taking a step forward, Lord Ferid shot past in a blur, knocking me backwards!

To my utter horror, Chihiro's body lay in a clump under me. Her sunken eyes were pulled shut and blood trickled from her open mouth. The tips of her blue hair were dipped into a growing puddle of blood, her blood! To my left, her glasses lay smashed at her feet. She had treasured them ever since the director gave them to her! I shook my head in disbelief, this wasn't happening! I must be dreaming! Right? Chihiro couldn't be dead… she had smiled at me just a minute ago…

"Didn't I just tell you?" Our vampire tormentor coked his head over his shoulders and smiled at Yuu, Mika and me. "I want to see your faces twist in despair."

In the blink of an eye, Lord Ferid sliced through Taichi's neck with nothing but his hand. His little body fell to the floor, smearing a trail of red as his head rolled away. Infront of my eyes, I watched helplessly as the monster cut down my siblings, one by one.

Chihiro, Taichi, Fumie, Ako and, Kota!

Soon, they all lay dead in pools of their own innocent blood.

"no…please stop…...PLEASE STOP!" Mika dropped to his knees and cried with all his might.

He begged for Lord Ferid to stop this massacre. But it was too late. He was a vampire and we were his little lambs. We were nothing but stupid livestock in his eyes, merely walking, talking bags of blood. He wasn't going to stop because we asked. He wasn't going to stop until every drop of our blood had bled from our cold, lifeless corpses!

Hot tears rolled down my cheeks as my whole body shook with despair. This was it, I was going to die here. I, Akane Hyakuya, would die as nothing more than a vampire's juice box! My eyes would never see the sunshine again, my soul would never laugh again, I would die before I'd truly lived! Despair like nothing I'd ever experienced before sunk into my bones, drenching them in black sorrow. Every dream I ever had and all hope I ever held fell into an endless abyss. This was it... I was going to die here...

Bowing my head in a silent prayer, I waited for my inevitable fate to arrive.

"Akane!" My head shot up at the mention of my name, "Yuu?"

Within the blink of an eye, Lord Ferid stood towering over me. His red eyes twinkled with excitement. He looked me up and down casually as if he was merely criticizing my outfit. A sickening feeling bubbled in the bottom of my stomach. This vampire was sick! Playing with is prey like an excited cat! I gathered the courage to pull my hands up to my neck. If he wanted to murder me, then he was going to have to do it the old-fashioned way. No way was I going to stand around and let this monster drain my body of blood! I knew I was going to die here but I sure as hell wasn't going to go out as a drained corpse!

Closing my eyes, I waited for Lord Ferid to slice my head off.

"No way you idiot! I can't just leave you!" Yuu's voice echoed through the hall.

Why were they arguing? We were all about to die a violent death and my brothers were fighting?! The very idea felt so surreal, I nearly laughed at the absurdity of the whole situation. Here we stood, in the middle of a marble white hall filled with the blood and lifeless bodies of our family... and my last living brothers were fighting?

Suddenly, I felt Ferid's hand grab my dress. My whole body tensed as he proceeded to throw my tiny body into the air!

My eyes shoot open just in time to see Mika charging towards me, a gun in hand clearly aiming for Ferid. Inch by painfully slow inch, I braced myself for the inevitable collision with Mika.

One… Two… Three…

At the very last second, Mika dive-rolled to the side, missing me by a mere centimetre. A loud 'THUMP' soon followed as my body hit the ground with all the grace of a brick! Meanwhile, Ferid lowered his hand as his attention focused solely on Mika.

"Ahhhhhh, Mikaela," he said. "Your blood was particularly tasty, thank you for the treat."

Everything next happened in a blur... Lord Ferid attacked, A gunshot rang out, Yuu running past me, Mika's arm flying across the hall, the click of a gun, Yuu yelling, "DIE!", and then a final gunshot.

After a moment of silence, Ferid's body fell to the ground. Yuu kneeled next to Mika, clutching his hands in his own. Blood seeped out of the hole in his chest and pooled around Yuu's knees, staining his white pants red.

A thousand thoughts swirled in my head. Was Ferid dead? Had Yuu really killed a vampire noble with his own shot-gun? How was that even possible!? The truth is, it wasn't possible. Ferid was a freaking VAMPIRE! A bullet wouldn't kill him. My logic cogs began to turn. Yuu and I were still alive while Mika was dying. If Ferid wanted us dead, all he had to do was stand up? But he didn't. Meaning, he planned on us escaping… but why? What made US so special?

"MIKA, STAND UP!" I look up from my thoughts to see Yuu attempting to drag Mika's dying body up the stairs. "COME ON!" He cried.

My heart dropped into my stomach and anger rose to my head. Fine! If this monster wanted us to escape, then I would be more than happy to fulfil his wish! Rising to my feet, I sprinted towards my brothers. My legs pounded against the hard marble floor as I weaved around my siblings' bodies. My mind wanted to stop and look, to mourn their deaths and cry till my eyes ran dry. But Mika and Yuu needed me! "I'm sorry," I said. My legs continued to run past, a twinge of guilt and sorrow building in my chest.

I was two metres away when Yuu lost his grip and dropped Mika with a 'thud.' "go… you idiot…" Mika's lone hand reached up and pushed Yuu toward the exit, willing him to go! To just run! My pig-headed brother shook his head, "No! I'm not leaving you, Mika!"

"Over there!" The guards began to appear at the end of the hall, cloaks billowing as they ran. Mika fell limp on the stairs just as I reached the bottom step. His eyes were wide open, staring at nothing while a small smile played on his lips. Yuu sat speechlessly. I couldn't believe it either… Mika was dead?!

"Hey, you two! Stop!" One of the guards emerged from the shadows and spotted us. His red eyes flashed a warning. Either we stopped and died or we ran and 'possibly' died.

I turned to Yuu and our eyes met. A flicker of understanding passed between us. We had to run. Summoning every ounce of my willpower, I turned my back on my siblings… on Mika… and ran.

Together, we zoomed through tunnel after endless tunnel. For each one we passed, my legs became slower and the full reality of what had happened sank in. My family was dead. Everyone I'd spent my life growing up with had passed! Chihiro, dead. Kota, dead. Ako, gone. Fumie, gone. Taichi, beheaded! And Mika… Mika was...

The next thing I knew, I was outside. It was dark and snow-covered trees dotted a hilly landscape. Yuu was nowhere to be seen, only footsteps in the snow gave me an inkling as to where he had gone. A sigh escaped my lips. Of course, he had kept running. The dope probably hadn't even realised his sister was no longer beside him!

A cold wind flew past me and my body shivered as goose bumps spread across my bare arms and legs. My heart thumped loudly in my chest, adrenaline pumped through my veins and my lungs gasped for air. Was I safe? Was this the outside world? Had we really escaped? It seemed too good to be true. Yet, the freezing wind and snow biting my ankles told my mind it was true.

I abruptly realised I had no idea if there were any adults left outside?! The vampires told us no one above the age of thirteen was left alive after the virus hit. According to them, no human over the age of thirteen EVER survived above ground. Well, I was eleven and Yuu was twelve! That meant we had at least a year to find a cure… hopefully.

"There he is, just like the prophecy said." A male voice cut through the wind and travelled over the snowy hills. Who was that? What was he talking too? and why was he here?

Following Yuu's trail, I reached the top of the first hill just in time to see three strange adults approaching my crying brother. My heart clenched at the sight of him. Just like me, his eyes were red, his face tear stained, livestock clothes splattered with blood, and dreams shattered. We looked like we had just run through hell and back. Which in a way, we had…

The tallest one, a male and probably the one who had spoken, approached Yuu. He wore a strange military uniform and carried a glowing red sword. His black hair reminded me of Yuu's. While his purple eyes and aura of danger reminded me of my horrible monthly injections from the orphanage.

"Boy, I can give you the power to exterminate vampires," he said. Ah Ha! So, they killed vampires! But did that mean they could be trusted? The girl to the man's left offered her jacket to Yuu, wrapping it around his shoulders. Her strawberry blonde hair and sweet brown eyes radiated warmth. Instinct told me she could be trusted while the other girl to the man's right, could not. The way her straight hair fell and the way her eyes stared, sent shivers down my spine! Who were these people? And how were they still alive? They were adults and therefore, should be dead!?

My last living family member looked at the trio with a stunned expression. After a few seconds, the shock wore off and he wiped his eyes. "You're human?' he asked. The man nodded and explained the virus only killed the adults alive the night the apocalypse started. "My name is Lieutenant Guren Ichinose, the captain of the Moon Demon Company."

Conflicting thoughts swirled around in my head, trying to decide if I should run to Yuu's side or stay hidden. Hope urged me forward while fear kept me still. I still didn't know if these humans could be trusted? After all, their arrival was rather convenient. Did they always patrol the woods looking for kids and just happened to stumble across us by accident? Or was it set up? Ugh, like always, I had too many questions and no answers!

Yuu rocked from foot to foot, trying to make a decision. "What about Akane? Can she come too?" His eyes scanned the hills looking for me. Alright, I'm going to Yuu!

Suddenly, a hand clamped around my mouth and pushed me into the snow! Pure fear surged through my veins. What was going on!? "Make a noise and I'll kill you." A voice said. No! NO! I was dreaming, right? The guards couldn't have chased after us! Lord Ferid had said vampires found it difficult to navigate outside, so how? Who was holding me!?

"Where's your sister, kid?" Guren's voice sliced through the wind like a knife. "She should be behind me?" Yuu replied. The snow started to crunch as numerous footsteps started up the hill towards us.

In the blink of an eye, my capturer bundled my body into his arms and re-entered the escape tunnel. The dirt floor and rotten oak walls sneered at me, laughing at my predicament like it was the funniest thing they had ever seen! I tried screaming for Yuu, but the stranger quickly covered my mouth. He wrapped one arm around my waist and sunk to the ground. With my body pressed against his and my mouth held shut, I was helpless once again. The man lent down and whispered into my ear, "Listen, here they come." He turned my head towards the open door and unleashed a dark chuckle.

Yuu's head popped into view. He raised his shivering hands to his mouth and shouted my name. "AKANE! Where are you!?" Guren and friends trudged through the snow and joined him. "akane!", "AKANE!", "Akane?" Their voices blended together, filling the woods with my name.

As they drew closer to our hiding spot. Shaking my head from side to side and stamping my feet in the dirt, I tried desperately to scream for help!

"Mmmfff!" My pleas for help came out as nothing more than pathetic mumbling. An ant's shouts would have been louder than I was!

Yuu wandered around the trees and looked in the bushes. Guren and the girls climbed the other hills and shook the trees in their search. "Kid, your friends not here," Guren said. My brother shook his head and continued calling out my name. "AKANE! IT'S YUU!" The nice girl went over and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure she was behind you?" At her question, Yuu scoffed. "Of course she was!" He said, "Akane IS here somewhere, I SWEAR!" The trio exchanged concerned glances. They didn't believe him…

Yuu pulled away from the blonde and moved towards the tunnel. He managed three steps before Lieutenant Guren stopped him. "You cannot go in there. If your sister is still down there, then she's as good as dead, kid."

Hot tears rolled down my cheeks. Yuu was so close! He stood three metres away from where we hid and yet, he couldn't see me! Once again, I tried to call out to him, to make a noise so he would venture a little further. My legs stamped the ground and my hands clapped my sides but it wasn't enough!

Yuu turned his back on the exit and looked up at Guren. Panic burst into my chest like a lightning bolt! No, no, no, turn around! Please Yuu, turn around! I'm right here, IM RIGHT HERE! A mixture of tears and snot dripped from my chin and trickled down my neck. My whole body trembled with rage and fear as my brother took a single step away from me.

"I'm sorry, kid. But, she's gone."

For a split second, Yuu stood still, frozen in time like a statue. Then, as if fate had pierced him with an arrow herself, he clutched his stomach and fainted into Guren's arms. Both girls rushed to his side. The kind one checked his pulse while the scary one put her ear to his chest, checking for signs of life. "He's alright," Guren said. "He simply fainted at the news. Poor kid has been through a lot today." The girls nodded in agreement and took a step back. The man scooped my brother up like a baby and readjusted the other girls cloak to act as a blanket. "Let's go," He ordered.

The stranger held my waist tightly while we watched the three walk away. With each passing second, the group drifted further and further from my reach. A new wave of tears rolled down my soaked cheeks as the group's silhouettes faded into the distance.

When they could no longer be seen, my capturer snickered in my ear.

"They abandoned you," He whispered.

The stranger removed his hand covering my mouth and pulled me up under his arm, preparing to take off. Every survival instinct inside of myself erupted like a volcano!

Taking a deep breath, I screamed, "Yuu! Mika! Someone help me!"

The lifeless faces of Ako and Kota, Taichi's head and Fumie's screaming, flood into my mind. They were gone…they were dead… no one was coming to save me... memories of Mika's smile, Chihiro's singing voice, Kota's cheer after a soccer game, Ako and Fumies little arguments, tiny Tai's sobs in the night, and Yuu's hot-headed boasting flooded into my head. I was never going to see them again... our happy days at the orphanage and our peaceful life in Sanguinem was over... everything was gone!

Fear completely overwhelmed me, this was worse than death!

"Yuuuuuuuuu! DON'T LEAVE ME!" Greif consumed my soul, draining it of all the built-up hope, dreams, and love I cherished for four long years. Mika's promise of freedom, Yuu's talk of a vampire-free world, and all the little ones' excited chatter of a family home.

Gone! Dashed! Destroyed!

I couldn't breathe as the sadness and pain rocked me to the very core! In that moment, something deep within my spirit snapped.

Like a nightmare, the world began to darken. My vision turned red. Hot sticky tears of blood streamed down my cheeks. Pressure built and built up in my chest until a golden light broke forth, blinding me! The vampire dropped me like a hot potato and I sunk into the dirt. This was it, my life was over, finished, done! My family was dead! Yuu was gone! And I was alone! No one was coming to save me from this hell! One final, piercing scream of pain left my lips before my consciousness faded into nothing…

…

" _Mum?" She stands in the middle of an empty room. "Dad?" Silence meets her calls. "Mika? Hello is anyone there?" The room around her begins to darken until she stands in an empty void. "Why did you leave us, Akane?" The voices of her orphan family echo through the darkness. Panic once again consumes her, "I didn't want to leave you! Please; Taichi, Ako, Kota, Fumie, Mika! Please believe me!" Her family members emerge from the void, glaring at her with hateful expressions. "You abandoned us, Akane." She shook her head and tried to run towards them. But the faster she ran the further they drifted from her reach. "Wait!" She screamed. Her family disappears and Yuu stands before her. His eyes are overflowing with hate and disgust. "You let me go, Akane! Just like you always do…" He turns and walks away, melting into the shadows._

"Nnnnooooooo!" I jolted awake. My lungs burned and my head pounded.

"Mika! Yuu! WHERE ARE YOU?" My eyes scanned my surroundings. Where were my family! Were they ok? Had it all been a bad dream? Yes! It had to be! I was safe in my bed, surrounded by everyone I loved. It had to be a dream, IT HAD TO BE!

But it wasn't and no one lay next to me.

Instead, I sat alone in an empty room, devoid of any furnishings, just like an isolation chamber.

"no… no… No!" Jumping to my feet, I ran to the nearest wall and hit it as hard as I could! "MIKA! Mika, where are you?!" My fists banged against the bare wall over and over again until my knuckles split and blood sprayed across the wall.

"Come on guys! This isn't funny! LET ME OUT!"

'BANG, BANG, BANG'

"Yuu! Mika! Kota! Come on, show yourselves!"

This wasn't real, I refused to believe it! My family was NOT dead! We still had so many things to do! Kota had a soccer match against the neighbours tomorrow! Fumie and Ako hadn't finished their chalk drawings yet! I still had to teach Chihiro how to cook curry and next week was tiny taichi's first blood donation! Mika and Yuu must be playing a trick on me again? YES! That was it! They were pulling another one of their famous pranks on me!

Placing my hands on my hips, I stepped away from the wall and called out to my siblings, "Ok guys, very funny! You got me. Now, let me out, OK!?"

Suddenly, the door to the chamber swung open.

A sigh of relief passed my lips and I smiled. "Ha ha ha, good one Yuichiro. You nearly had... me… there…"

My mystery capture stood at the door. He waltzed into the small cell and closed the door. His red eyes, pointy ears and fangs all screamed, 'VAMPIRE!' But his clothes were like none I had ever seen before? He wore a soldier's uniform with a long cloak just like a regular vampire. However, instead of pristine white clothes, his were jet black. He had extremely long, platinum blonde hair that reached his waist and he wore a single stud earring in his left ear.

"You're finally awake! I was afraid I'd killed you." He said.

"Wha… what… what's going on? Who are you!? Where's my family!?" Taking a step back from the vampire, my head started to spin out of control!

"Your family? Hmmmmm… Oh! You mean those kids? Yea, sorry kid but they're dead." He smiled sweetly at me like he'd just given a compliment. He waved his hand in the air as if he was swatting away a fly before speaking again, "Enough about them. The real question is, 'What's your name?'"

Memories of the massacre awoke in my mind. Snapshots of blood, screaming, dead bodies and Ferid flashed before my eyes. The whole room started to sway and twist. "No! Your lying!" I cried. Taichi's head, Chihiro's smashed glasses, Mika's empty eyes, Yuu fainting… Everything came flooding back to reality. They were gone, my family was dead and Yuu was gone!

Crumbling to my knees, tears streamed down my cheeks as my lungs gasped for air! Fear washed through my system like hot water. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead and back while vomit swirled in my stomach and threatened to rise. Miraculously, my chest began to glow gold, releasing rays of light through my dress! Finally, my whole world shattered into pieces… I was alone.

"Whoa! Don't freak out on me, kid!" The vampire rushed to my side and gingerly placed a hand on my back. He rubbed his hand in small circles and tried to calm me down. "It's ok, breeeaaath," He said, "Breath in… breath out… breath in… there you go! Nice and easy."

Very slowly, my breathing synched with his. The room stooped spinning and my heart rate returned to normal. My muscles relaxed and the glowing light faded away. I stared at my chest in a mix of awe and confusion. What was that light? That had NOT been there before?!

"Ok, let's try this again, "The vampire said, "What's your name, kid?"

With much reluctance, I pulled my gaze away from my glowing skin and glanced to my left. The vampire smiled reassuringly. "Akane Hyakuya," I whispered.

"Akane!" He addressed me by name, "You have got to stop scaring me like that or you're going to give me a heart attack!" The idea was completely ridiculous. A vampire didn't have a beating heart. So, therefore, couldn't die of heart failure. Technically, they were already dead anyway.

The vampire's hand ran up my back and brushed against my neck. Immediately, I tried to pull away but he was too quick! He wrapped his hand around my neck and pushed me onto my back. I tried to push him off but his grip only tightened the more I struggled. He shifted his knees to either side of my waist, straddling me. My hands grabbed his wrist and tried to wrench my neck free, "Let me go!" I said.

The vampire tutted like he was scolding a toddler. "Relax, I'm not going to kill you. I'll just take a sip, Ok?" He winked, sending a shiver from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. He bared his fangs and moved his hand up to my mouth, silencing all verbal attempts of resistance. I closed my eyes as his fangs pierced my neck and sunk deep into my veins.

"Arghhhh... stooop!" My strength drained away with every drop he took.

"Ahhhhh," The vampire pulled out his fangs and breathed in a whiff of my scent. I could feel trickles of my blood dripping onto the floor. "Let me get that for you," The vampire said. Gently, he ran his tongue over the wound, licking up the droplets. I wanted him to stop! This was wrong, just plain wrong! Yet, a tiny voice in my head wanted him to keep going… what was wrong with me? Had Mika felt this way when Ferid drank from him?

All too soon, the monster pulled away. "There, see? That wasn't so bad." He said, "Oh! by the way, my name's Julian."

I watched him closely as he greedily licked his lips and smiled. A part of myself was ticked! How could I have let a vampire drink from me!? They were all MONSTERS who murdered innocents for FUN!

But at the same time, a part of me wanted him to do it again. To sink his fangs into my skin and fill my body with forbidden pleasure… NO! Akane, STOP IT!

"In a few hours, we will arrive at my homeland," The sound of his voice provided me with a well-needed distraction from the torrent of conflicting thoughts. "You better rest," He continued. "You're going to need your strength." Thinking that was some type of explanation, he stood and exited the small room before I could say, "What?"

 **Thank you for reading my story! I hoped you enjoyed this first instalment** **I promise to upload the next chapter as soon as I can! xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Alright everyone, here's the next new and improved chapter! I apologize now for taking so long… I'm aiming to re-write ALL chapters so expect updates to take a while.** **:P**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph**

"Morning sunshine!" The door to my isolation cell burst open and light flooded in, bathing the walls white. I heard footsteps waltz through the door, followed by the voice of a certain vampire. "Sleep well?" He asked.

No, I hadn't. My whole body ached, my stomach hurt and my head felt like it was going to explode! Sleeping on the floor of a cell with no windows, no lights, and no bed, was hard! At least in the vampire capital, the vampires had provided their livestock with food and bedding. Wherever this vampire was from, that curtesy clearly didn't apply.

Opening my eyes, I arched back, stretching out the kinks and clicks in my back before sitting up to face my abductor. He was dressed in his vampire attire. Black soldier suit, black hooded cloak, long platinum hair, and single silver stud earring. His eyes twinkled with mischief as he lent against the door frame, surveying his prey like a hungry hyena. A cold shiver ran down my back! If I hadn't known he was a vampire, I would have mistaken him for the grim reaper!

I watched him suspiciously from the safety of my bed/corner of the cell. What was this guy's deal? Why had he kidnapped me and not Yuu as well? Surely, he could have killed those human soldiers without a fuss, so why? Endless questions swirled around my brain. This whole situation felt strange…

"Oh, never mind," He said. He stepped into the centre of the room and waved his hand around like he was swatting a fly. "I don't really care! Now, let's go."

Without so much as a warning, the vamp zipped over, grabbed my arm and dragged me out the door like a dog on a leash! I tried digging my heels into the floor and pulling against his grip. "Don't touch me, I can walk myself!" I said. My nails clawed at his hand, tearing his skin and drawing blood. I screamed for him to let me go while kicking and struggling for my life! But despite my best efforts, the vampire's hand only tightened as he continued to grab me towards the door.

Once outside the cell, dark grey walls of metal greeted me. Rows of seats with strange buckles and clips lined the walls and a single lamp spanning the length of the space blinked off and on. Oval shaped windows, no bigger than my hand, sat in between the strange seats, letting small rays of sunlight pour inside. Despite the sunlight, the place was eerie and cold. The metal floor greedily sapped away my body heat from my bare feet. Goosebumps snaked past my ankles and along my legs, turning them to ice.

At the end of the strange area, my eyes widened in disbelief to find an entire wall missing! "What the…" Where I assumed a wall should be or at least a door, stood a make-shift ramp leading out too sun-soaked concrete.

A picture book suddenly sprung to the forefront of my mind. On rainy days at the orphanage, the director had read us stories. My favourite had been about the different types of aeroplanes. I had never been on a real plane before but judging by what the director's book had taught me, I knew they were very big, had wings the length of a soccer field, had giant engines that made them travel very fast and were incredibly noisy! Most planes were white and carried regular humans from city to city like a bus but with wings. There were also cargo and military planes that carried first aid supplies and soldiers across the world! The room I now stood in looked just like the picture of a cargo plane interior!

I couldn't believe it! We were inside a REAL cargo plane?! It was dream come true! Haha, I was in a plane! A working, flying plane! How was that even possible? And how had I not heard the engine and propellers? Let alone survived the flight!? Flying an aeroplane through the sky was impossible these days because of the four horsemen of John! Most stalked the earth, some swam in the oceans, while others roamed the sky looking for humans to kill. They could sniff out a human one hundred kilometres away! Flying in a plane or sailing in a boat was the equivalent of committing suicide for a human! Yet, I had survived a trip to who-knows-where without encountering a single one…

"Am I dreaming?" I asked.

"Nope!" My vampire escort dragged me to the edge of the weird ramp and swept his free hand through the air. Using his booming voice, he said, "Willkommen in Deutschland!"

Wait... had he just spoken in German? My vampire captor looked down at my stunned expression and smiled, "Lovely isn't it?"

I was too shocked to answer him. I mean, really, what was I supposed to say? Oh yea, Germany is great! Much better than Japan. By the way, why are we in Germany? NO! There was no way he was telling the truth! Didn't it make any sense? He had kidnapped me from Japan, taken me away from my brother, left me to starve in a cage for days! All so he could take me to Europe? No way, NOPE! This HAD to be some kind of joke… right?

Unfortunately, it wasn't.

Stepping off the ramp, we emerged from the aeroplane into an underground bunker. I looked around in disbelief. The bunker walls were three to four stories' tall, each showcasing a balcony with beautiful Victorian railings straight from a fairy tale!

On the fourth balcony, clumps of what I assumed were vampire cliques, groups of soldiers watched the unloading of our plane with a casual look of interest. I caught the eye of one huddle staring at me. As soon as our eyes met, they turned away as if I was the sun itself.

Ok, something strange was definitely going on here…

Balconies three and two were mostly empty, apart from a stray box scattered here and there. While balcony number one held rows of livestock dressed just like me!? Each child marched in a single line from the back of my plane, up a flight of stairs, before vanishing into the blackest depths of a mysterious corridor. My heart cried out to them! They had probably been kidnapped just like me. Stolen from the safety of their homes, transported across the world, and were now doomed to some unknown fate. How was any of this fair? What had we done to deserve this!?

Looking up, I realised the roof had been removed to allow planes to exit and enter freely. From where I stood, the midday sun blazed against the black concrete of the bunker, circling my plane in a spotlight. Heat waves shimmered around us, distorting the boundary between heaven and earth, shadow and light, happiness and sadness. A welcoming warmth covered my whole body, heating my skin with a kiss and drying my tear-soaked clothes with a hug. All at once, my worries melted away. Beautiful rays of sunshine danced around me. They sang melodies of love and freedom that filled my heart with hope. Closing my eyes, I tipped my face up to the sky and for one fleeting moment, I felt happy!

"Let's go," My abductor tore me out of the sunlight and pushed me into the world of shadows.

My happiness vanished as quickly as it came…

I dragged my feet in despair as my vampire escort strolled through the darkness with a skip in his step. He squeezed my hand every few steps and yanked me forward whenever I started to trail behind.

"I guess I better get you cleaned up before you meet the King!" His voice bounced off the walls before slipping out of ears reach, pulling me out of my slump.

Immediately, alarm bells sounded in my head, kicking my thinking cogs into high gear! The king of Germany wanted to see me? Why? What was soooo special about me, Akane Hyakuya? I was just an orphaned girl who had escaped Sanguinum. That didn't warrant a meeting with a vampire noble, so why? Sure, my chest glowed gold when I was upset but that could just be a side effect of the virus, right? I had been exposed to it the day the apocalypse started but so had everyone else! For all I knew, Yuu could have been experiencing the same thing! So, why me? UGH, nothing made sense anymore!

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Questions, questions, questions," The vamp clicked his tongue in annoyance. He stopped walking and looked down at his captive. I couldn't see his face very well in the dark, but I didn't have to be a genius to figure out what expression he wore! He was angry, annoyed, and obviously over my resistance.

"Weren't you listening before?" He said, "I already told you, we're going to see King Lest Karr! Now, shut up and keep walking!"

My cheeks flush in anger! That had not answered my question. Of course, I knew who he was taking me to meet! What I didn't know was where that was!? Honestly, why did all vampires have to treat their livestock like brainless idiots? We weren't cows or sheep, we were human beings just like they had once been! Why did they insist on pretending humans weren't related to vampires!? I had never figured out a good reason.

"Move it," Suddenly, I felt a pair of strong arms scooped me up bridal style before taking off. Black walls turned to grey, then to white as we flew down the corridor like a race car!

As we drew closer to the end of the hall, my heart pounded in my chest! He was taking me to another vampire city! Every step he took, plunged us deeper underground! Away from the sun, away from the surface, away from home! I wanted to cry out for help, I couldn't handle this! Going inside a vampire nest was like stepping back into hell. My whole body shook uncontrollably. Memories of the massacre came flooding back in an instant! The smell of blood, the cries of my siblings, Ferid's glee, Yuu's unconscious body, Guren walking away… Tears brimmed in my eyes, blurring my vision as I sobbed like a baby.

"Please… let me go… I can't… I can't take it anymore!" I cried.

My vampire kidnapper slowed to a stop. Through my tears and crying, I felt him shift my body into a sitting position. "There, there, your OK," He cooed, "The city of Mortem is safe! I promise."

He tried whispering sweet words into my ear and gently rocking me from side to side, bridal style. But nothing worked! My mind spun out of control. This was all too much for me, I was only an eleven-year-old girl! Up until today, I hadn't travelled to Tokyo, let alone left Japan! Now, here I was, in the arms of a vampire standing before the underground city of Mortem! In Germany!

Exhaustion washed over me. My eyes rolled into my head, my body fell limp and my consciousness whisked itself away into oblivion.

…

 _Autumn leaves cover the entire park. Mika and Junji run through a huge pile, scooping up the leaves and chucking them at each other. She laughs and sprints to join them. Within minutes, they are engaged in a game of tag. "You'll never catch me, Akane!" Mika giggles. She crosses her arms and smirks, "I'm faster than you Mika! Right, Junji?" the boy nods, calling taunts at Mika. They chase each other all over the park for hours! Finally catching him in a side tackle, they roll around in the fallen leaves, laughing their heads off. She turns towards him and smiles. Mika's empty eyes stare back. His body lays still and unmoving like a statue. "Mika?" Her voice barely comes out as a whisper. Fear prickles in her stomach. Mika's mouth opens and blood trickles out, "Why did you leave me, Akane?"_

"MIKAAAAAAA!" I jolted awake, "MIKA!" My eyes frantically searched for him, "Mikaela, where are you?!"

I jumped to my feet and screamed his name, "Mika? MIKA!"

Everywhere I turned, marble walls decorated with paintings stood in my way! One painting showed twelve men with halos sitting at a table. Plates of bread and cups of wine sat before them while a single figure at the end of the table. Dominated their attention. He had his arms wide open like he was expecting a hug. Another painting showed about a dozen men huddled in a doorway. The man at the front held a bible in one hand and had the other up in defence against the last man standing in front of the doorway. He wore a red cloak and had a golden halo surrounding his confused face. The biggest painting spread across the entire length of the opposite wall. In the middle, a woman sat on a throne of gold with a baby on her lap. They each wore halos on their heads and bored expressions of their faces. All around them, hundreds of men knelt on the floor, seemingly praying to the baby.

Looking up, the entire roof showed the Christian story of creation. From God creating the earth, Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, to Lucifer's fall to hell, it was all there. The only flat surface that wasn't covered with paintings was the wooden floor. The dark wooden planks lay bare, only a red stain here or there decorated it.

"Mika?" My voice dropped to a whisper as reality hit hard. My brother wasn't in this hall because he wasn't here anymore… Mika was dead.

Tears flowed freely down my cheeks. My legs went numb and I sank to the floor, devastated. Mika was dead and I was alone… He was in heaven with the rest of my siblings while Yuu and I were stuck here. My nose started to run and I had to use my sleeve to wipe away the snot. "Mika," I brought my hands up to cover my face and cried. "I'm so sorry, Mika… I am so sorry…"

"Julian Hartke, mein Konig," A sharp voice rang in my ears.

Raising my head from my pity party of one, I saw Julian standing at my side. His cape was missing and his long blonde hair was braided into two plaits. He stood at attention, hands behind his back and head held high like he was addressing royalty or a Sargent.

"Das ist Akane Hyakuya von Die Hyakuya Sector," He said.

My mind worked furiously to figure out what was going on? Of course, I had no idea what he had said. But, I was sure he had mentioned my name and the Hyakuya Sector from Japan. Okaaaaay, that was strange, sure! But why had he introduced me and who was he talking too?

Folding my hands in my lap, I scanned the room again for clues. This time, I noticed guards were lining the walls. Each wore the same outfit as Julian and carried long-swords at their hip. Their hoods were pulled up, shrouding their faces in mystery. Fire lamps hanging from wooden sticks embedded in the walls provided the only light in the hall. Finally, my eyes drifted to the end of the room where they landed on a boy sitting on a wooden throne. I assumed it was a throne because it sat atop a pedestal, but apart from that, it seemed like any other wooden chair I had back at the orphanage. However, the boy was a completely different story!

The boy appeared to be twelve or thirteen-years-old. He wore a black top hat decorated with golden buttons joined together with intertwining golden sting. A shiny golden pin featuring a range of blue and purple feathers was pinned to the side, completing the design. The colours were a stark contrast to the colour of his hair! On the left side, his hair was white as snow. While on the right side, his hair was blood red like his eyes. A floor-length, black trench coat covered his white blouse and short pants, giving off the illusion he was older than he looked. But the façade was broken immediately by his knee-length socks and high-top boots laced together with blue bows just like the one he wore around his collar.

Although the outfit looked pleasing, the dangerous aura surrounding the boy was not! A dark, menacing vibe leaked from his skin and seeped into the air, suffocating me. I tried to look away but my body was paralyzed by his mere presence. Beads of cold sweat dripped down my back and forehead as he continued to listen to Julian 's speech. My instincts barked, DANGER!', 'DANGER!', 'DANGER!' repetitively in my head, warning me to run away! But I couldn't move! I was stuck like a deer in the headlights, knowing to her fate yet unable to do anything about it!

"Livestock!" His voice hit me like a punch to the gut. "Why did Queen Krul let you live?" He asked.

"I, ah, um, I don't… who?" I had no idea what he was talking about? My brother and sisters at the orphanage had been kidnapped by the vampires and forced to live as blood bags just like me. So, what did that have to do with letting us live? Were they meant to kill us instead? ARGH! I was so confused.

"Do not test my patience, livestock!" King Lest Karr slammed a fist against his chair and scowled, "Why did Krul Tepes let you live?" His cold, calculating eyes bore into my soul, searching for hidden secrets that weren't there.

I gulped and decided to take a risk by answering him with a half-truth, "Lord Ferid murdered my siblings, your majesty. My brother and I escaped the Queen Krul's city because she was going to kill us too."

King Lest Karr raised a single eyebrow, "That does not answer my question, livestock! I want to know WHY she didn't kill you earlier?"

It was a simple question that should have had a simple answer. But, I didn't know? Ferid had tricked Mika and lured my family into a trap just to slaughter us for fun!? And I had never met the vampire queen before!? How was I supposed to answer his question when I didn't have a single clue?

"Ahhh… I'm sorry, but I don't know?" I said.

"You don't know, huh?" The King mulled the words over, running them past his tongue in disgust. My answer was not the answer he had wanted nor expected. I watched in silence as he uncrossed his legs, straightened his back and locked eye with Julian. Although he seemed calm and calculated, instinct warned me that this boy was still a vicious monster! No matter how young and innocent he looked.

Julian began to speak, "My King, I…"

He never finished his sentence.

In the blink of an eye, King Lest Karr's hand tore into Julian's chest and ripped out his beating heart! Blood splattered everywhere, staining the floor, splashing the walls, and drenching my kidnapper's clothes from head to toe! He gasped in pain as he collapsed, writhing in agony on the floor. While King Lest Karr stood over his dead corpse without remorse. With Julian's heart in hand and a gleeful smile playing on his lips, he towered over the common vampire, completely dominating him! To me it was clear, this boy held all the power. He could save a life and he could take one, undead or alive!

The King inspected his servant's heart with indifference. He twirled it from left to right in his hand like he was looking for flaws. Then, after he had found none, he let it drop to the floor with a 'plop'. I watched in horror as the heart rolled across the floor only to stop next to Julian's shaking shoulders. A large pool of blood seeped out of the hole in his chest, surrounding his corpse in a sea of red. "…p… plea… se…," His voice was filled with fear as he pleaded with Lest Karr to forgive him. But the King ignored his cries. Instead, he strolled over to his neck and raised his hand to the sky.

I knew what was about to happen next, the king was going to kill him! A part of me wanted to rush over and save the vamp! While another wanted to run and hide… Sure, the guy had taken me from my brother and my country. But he had at least been kind-of nice to me! No normal vampire would have hugged me, rubbed my back, and spoken kindly to me when I cried!? Most would just kick you for being noisy or drink all your blood because you annoyed them. But Julian had always tried to smile and joke when I was around and his blonde hair reminded me of Mika in a way… Did he deserve to die for that? Did he deserve to die again for my lack of knowledge?! IT WASN'T FAIR! I COULDN'T HANDLE ANYMORE BLOODSHED!

I reached out to Julian in an attempt to save him, to do something!

But once again, I was powerless.

King Lest Karr swung his hand down and severed Julian's head from his body. Blood spurted from his neck like a water fountain, covering my hand and splattering my face. His head lolled to the side, exposing his face. Tears trickled down my cheeks as his empty eyes met mine. I wanted to scream, to shout, to cry, to curse! But no words came because they didn't have too, the look on his face said it all.

"Useless thing! Guards clean this mess up, I'm done playing with it." The King clapped his hands and a dozen vampire guards materialized in an instant. I watched in stunned silence as they picked up Julian's body and carried it away. Two stayed behind and began mopping up his blood into a bucket like it was nothing more than a water spill.

"Guess what?" Lest Karr stood before my kneeling form, hands on hips, an annoyed expression on his face.

"…w… wha… what…" My heartfelt numb and my body felt heavy. My mind refused to process what had just happened. One minute, Julian had been standing by side. The next, he was lying in a puddle of his own blood with his head severed and a hole in his chest! Now, he was gone. Nothing but a small stain next to many on the floor of a castle hall. There was no way, it simply wasn't possible! I refused to believe it! Why was everyone around me dead!? Was I cursed? Was this my fate, to spend eternity watching people close to me die?

"I murdered every magic user in my kingdom! That of course, will now include you. As the Brotherhood of a Thousand Knights were a band of magic users who ran human experiments on children in their orphanages. That's where you come from, Hyakuya Orphanage, correct?" The vampire king spun on his heel and walked back to his throne with hands behind his back, "Of course, they only experimented on kids with either the seraph gene or a high magical potential. Now the REAL question is, 'which one you are?'" He reached his throne and sat down, folded his legs, rested his chin in his palm and smiled with joyful content. Droplets of blood dripped down his arm, forming rivulets of crimson on his jacket. I watched helplessly as the King lent forward and lapped up Julian's blood! "Hmmmm," He sloshed it around in his mouth as if he were tasting fine wine before dramatically spatting it out!

"Disgusting!" He cried, "Whose blood had he been drinking? It is positively foul!"

In that split second, rage swelled inside my chest, filing it the brink ready to burst. Who did this vampire think he was! Did he think he was special because he was a king? How dare he take the life force of humans and vampire alike! He called himself a noble but in reality, he was just like the rest of them.

"YOU'RE A BLOODTHIRSTY MONSTER!"

Pure rage exploded from my body! Everyone's lives, everyone deaths up till now, they all meant NOTHING to that murdering psychopath!

My vision turned red as my blood began to boil. A bright, golden light burst from my chest, filling every corner of the hall in a golden light! I felt like I could do anything! Even kill that good-for-nothing demon! Rising to my feet, words, no… sacred commands entered my head and spilled onto my tongue.

"In the name of The Trinity, The Holy Chains of Elohim vanquish you!"

Blood poured from my eyes and nostrils as two golden chains emerged from the centre of the light! They glowed fiercely, blinding everyone in the room. The urge to vomit clawed its way up to my throat as the chains shot towards King Lest Karr staring speechless on his throne!

In the blink of an eye, the golden chains had reached his throne! My whole body filled with overwhelming power as they prepared to strike. Light poured out of me like a waterfall, completely blinding me!

'KLANG!'

A tugging sensation came from the light, yanking me forward. Opening my eyes, I saw two vampire guards harpooned by the chains. Each impaled in the stomach like kebab!? One's sword lay on the ground, completely snapped in half! His eyes met mine. Without having to even try, I could feel his emotions through the light. He was scared, no…Terrified of me!

Suddenly, both vampires disintegrated into black ash like a party-popper! Just 'POOF! And they were gone!? Black dust floated in the air, forming two small grey clouds in the hall. The chains pulsated angrily as they slide back into the bright light, slinking away like two snakes after a kill. Once they had disappeared, the light glowing in my chest started to fade. Growing dimmer, dimmer, dimmer… gone.

All at once I violently vomited what seemed like litres of blood all over the carpet! Falling to knees, I clutched my stomach and screamed! My throat burned, my blood boiled and my stomach sizzled like lava! My skin was severely burnt, giant bursting blisters ravaged my arms and legs! While Hot, sticky blood streamed from my eyes and nose, sizzling on my cheeks!

"AAAAHHHHHHH! Make it STOOOOPPPP!" The pain was like nothing I had ever experienced before! My body was on fire, invisible flames eating away at my flesh and brain! In a desperate attempt to make the pain stop, I shut my eyes and curled into a ball on the floor.

"…please God… make it stop…"

Red turned to black and burning turned to soothing. My eyelids fluttered shut as a calm, tingling sensation swam through my veins. The overwhelming urge to sleep clouded my mind. With one last glance at the King, my consciousness tipped over the edge and fell into the abyss.

 **OHHHH! What's going to happen next? Is Akane even human? All your questions will be answered in the next chapter! :P I promise to release it as soon as I can! xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Finally finished re-working this chapter! This one was the hardest by far because I had to add in and take away so many plot points. I'm sorry if this chapter looks completely different to the original** **Please have a read and tell me if you like the changes**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no seraph.**

"Wakey wakey, rise and shine!"

The sound of a high-pitched voice rang in my ears. My eyes flew open as I sat up with a start!

Iron bars and grey concrete greeted me like we were old frenemies. The rusty bars were caked in dust and grime, colouring them a nasty mix of orange and black. The hard floor sapped away my body heat, robbing me of any sense of warmth. While cracks in the ceiling acted as mini water jets, making it their personal mission to let as much water escape their clutches as possible. The numerous puddles of sludge taking up all four corners of the cell were evidence of their success.

"And the sleeping beauty finally awakens from her slumber!"

Immediately, I snapped my attention towards the voice. My heart pounded in my chest as adrenaline flooded into my veins! Raising my hands and balling them into fists, I took a deep breath and jumped into Kota's fighting stance!

"Who are you? Show yourself!" I yelled.

A vampire, looking to be in his twenties, emerged from the shadows like a wolf in the night. I swallowed hard as he drew closer. His short brown hair and beaming smile seemed to glow with amusement. He wore a dark blue dress suit with a pale blue necktie. His hands were covered by white leather gloves and a long white cape hung from his shoulders. He stopped at the door to my cell and pulled out a key. Just by looking at him, I knew this was no ordinary vampire. He was a noble!

"Fifth progenitor, Ky Luc at your service!" He said.

A silent 'click' of the lock opening sent a shiver down my neck. I watched in stunned horror as he pushed the cell door open and pocketed the key. It creaked and groaned in protest, inching painfully away from the monster that forced its movement. Within seconds, the only barrier between myself and the monster was gone, replaced with nothing but cold air and dancing shadows enjoying my torment. Ky Luc took one step inside and lent against the door frame, completely blocking my exit and destroying any hope I had of escape.

"Well aren't you a pretty wee thing?" His eyes danced across my body, examining every nook and cranny like I was his new plaything. For a split second, my vision flickered and Lord Ferid stood in his place. Bile rose in my throat and burning hot sweat streamed down my back like liquid fire! Ferid towered over me, his silver hair and white coat billowing in the invisible wind. I watched in paralyzed fear as he raised his blood-stained hand and laughed! "Didn't I tell you Akane?" His menacing façade sailed forward until we stood face to face. Ferid lent forward and gently whispered in my ear, "I want to see your face twist in despair."

A strangled cry left my lips as my legs collapsed under me. This wasn't fair, why me? WHY ME? Tears streamed down my cheeks and my whole body trembled in despair. He was going to kill me and there wasn't a thing I could do about it! Every survival instinct inside me shouted 'RUN! DANGER AKANE!' But no matter how much they yelled and screamed, my body refused to act. Once again, I was the little lamb stuck in the hungry clutches of a vampire.

Oh, how cruel fate was. All I wanted was to see my brother one more time! Was that too much to ask? Or was I cursed to suffer at the hands of noble vampires for the rest of my pathetic life?! What had I ever done to deserve this? My mind couldn't fathom the situation, it was just too much! My nerves couldn't take this any longer!

"Please," I sobbed, "Just kill me already…I can't… I can't do this anymore!"

Through my blurry vision, I watched as Ferid vanished and Ky Luc took his place. The young vampire cocked his head to the side with a questioning look.

"Oh, we tried," He shrugged and folded his arms. "Lest Karr tore out your heart and let you bleed out for hours. I even tore off all your limbs, including your head! But, despite our BEST efforts," His eyes narrowed and a sickening grin spread across his lips, revealing fangs dripping with venom.

"You. Would. Not. Die."

"…I… can't… die?"

Suddenly, overwhelming anger boiled in my chest. "That's impossible!" I curled my hands into fists as my shoulders shook with rage! It wasn't possible! Everyone could die, right? Humans, vampires, demons, angels! They could all die, so why couldn't I? My very last hope of escape from this earth was death. It was my last hope of joining my family in heaven. If I lost that, then…

My eyes locked onto Ky Luc's, "You're lying."

"Huh, pretty AND gutsy I see," He said.

A long, heavy silence fell upon the cell. Around us; the water stopped dripping, the air held its breath and time stood still. Our eyes, brown against red, held each other in a standstill.

At that moment, I threw all sense of self-preservation out the window! It no longer mattered if I saw Yuu again. It no longer mattered if I returned to Japan. Right here, right now all I wanted was the sweet release of death. My very soul yearned to be set free and be reunited with my family. Yuichiro would just have to wait for me. Besides, one day he would die and then we would all be together again! Everything would be perfect!

"Ky Luc," My heart rate slowed and my tears dried up. I rose to my feet and spread my arms out, leaving my body completely open. My arms and legs stood strong as a fierce determination settled over me. This was it, I had made my final decision. Nothing was going to stand in my way!

"Kill me."

The world held its breath.

"Unfortunately," The progenitor's voice rang like a bell, shattering the silence. "I am under strict orders to keep you alive until Lest Karr has spoken with the progenitor council."

My whole world came crashing down. This vampire wasn't going to kill me even though it looked like he wanted nothing more than the satisfaction of seeing my corpse at his feet. How was I supposed to join my family now?

"Buuuuuut, if you're really that desperate to die…" His words ripped me from my despair as he dangled a single thread of hope in front of my face!

Immediately I sprang forward and latched into his coat, "I am!"

His face lit up with amusement. His grin spread from ear to ear and his eyes sparkled with mischief. Normally, I would have taken this as a sign to run. A vampire with a look like that on his face only meant trouble. But, my aim was to join my family in heaven, running away from the monster wasn't going to help me. So, instead, I sucked in my fear and gave him my best smile of approval. "I'm desperate," I said.

"Well then," Two strong hands gripped my wrists and yanked them away, forcing me to release my hold on the coat. "Let's play a game of 'Hide and Seek'! The rules are as such: You will have exactly one minute to run away and hide where ever you like, while I get to hunt you down. When you are found, I will have the authority to kill you as a runaway livestock."

It was the dumbest and most convoluted way of exaction I had ever heard of. But, it was my only hope! If the vampires were all under orders to keep me alive and the progenitor council decided to keep me for who-knows-what, I would lose my chance! Of course, I could always kill myself. But then there was a chance my soul wouldn't meet up with my family's souls! Or the vampires would expect it and therefore make up a plan B?!

"Ready?" He asked.

I nodded, it was now or never!

Ky Luc stepped to the side, closed his eyes and started counting, **"1, 2, 3,"**

My legs shot out the door and sprinted down the hallway before my eyes could blink! I knew what the fifth progenitor's plan was. He needed to find me in an area where my probability of escape was one hundred per cent so no one could doubt his reason for killing me later on. The only problem was if I was caught by the guards before I reached a suitable place, the game would be over and my chance would be gone! So, I needed to act like Fumie and slip between the cracks, blend into the shadows, and find an escape path to the nearest open window before the alarm sounded.

Reaching my first door, I gently twisted the knob and eased the door open a fraction. Then, I shimmied through the gap and bolted down a brightly lit corridor. Taking my first right then my second left, I dramatically burst through a pair of double doors and stumbled into the largest warehouse my eyes had ever seen!

" **15, 16, 17,"**

A gasp escaped my lips as my mind struggled to take in the sight before me. Hundreds! maybe thousands! of mattresses were organised in rows on the floor of the warehouse. Children of every age lay sleeping, one to each mattress. Each was dressed in regular clothes and had a single blanket covering them. The children were clearly livestock. Yet, they wore their own clothes, had a bed each, and looked healthy!?

Quickly snapping out of it, I began frantically tip-toeing between the mattress. About halfway down, my gaze met a young boy's. He quickly rolled and pretended to sleep. Other kids tossed and turned, some even chatted in hushed whispers to their neighbours as I passed. Just as I reached a service door, a girl about twelve years old spoke up. "Psst," She said, "я скоро буду там?"

" **28, 29, 30,"**

Huh? What language was this girl speaking? It wasn't German so did that mean we weren't currently in Germany? What the heck? How long was I asleep for? The girl tugged the edge of my dress, snapping me out of my daydream. "Um…sorry?" I whispered. Realisation crossed the girl's face and she tried again. "Are you ok?" she asked. Her blue eyes narrowed as she gazed at my appearance. Instinctively, I looked down and noted the blood-soaked dress and numerous rips and holes where limbs had supposedly been torn off.

"Yes, I'm fine," I quickly brushed her off and turned towards the exit.

"You do not look 'fine'," Her voice echoed through the warehouse. To my utter horror, hordes of kids started waking up, searching for the ruckus. This wasn't good! If all these children woke up, it would alert the guards and id be finished!

"Listen," My voice came out as a harsh whisper while my eyes pleaded with her to just drop it! "I have to go outside, ok? So please stay quite!"

" **35, 36, 37,"**

The girl blinked, completely unfazed by my little threat. "Outside?" She didn't even try to whisper as she spoke! My life literally flashed before my eyes, this kid was going to ruin my chance!

Just as I was about to bolt, the girl swept her arm across the room and pointed at another set of double doors hidden in the shadows. "There," She said, "Room seven go outside."

" **41, 42, 43,"**

Deciding I had nothing to lose at this point, I followed the strange girl's advice and slipped through the double doors as silent as a mouse. On the other side, a long white hallway with plush red carpet and fancy gold skirtings stood to wait. Multiple wooden doors, each dawning a number, spread along the hall every five metres.

" **50, 51, 52,"**

The first door was numbered 'sixty' while the door to my left was numbered 'fifty-nine'. A light bulb lit up in my head and propelled my legs to the left! I ran down the corridor with lightning speed. Door and wall blurred into one as my feet effortlessly zoomed across the carpet. I past door number nine, then number eight till finally, door seven appeared.

" **57, 58, 59,"**

Latching on to the handle, I prayed for dear life that this room would lead me to a window. Yanking it with all my might, the door flew open and crashed into the wall with a loud 'THUD!'

" **60!"**

Sunlight flooded my vision. Beautiful warmth embraced me in a hug, kissing my skin and drying my tears. The sound of angel's voices danced through the air, enchanting my senses. I took a step forward and gasped in awe at the stage before me. Hundreds of blush red velvet seats lined an entire balcony. A creamy white banister with intricate golden flowers decorating the handrail curved across the entire room. While the ceiling above sparkled as if the paint were made of glitter.

A cool breeze tickled my feet as invisible hands brushed my cheeks, gently luring me forward. My eyes widened as I reached the banister. The ground bellow housed hundreds of wooden seats. Each one had the bottoms folded up against the back, exposing the dark purple carpet underneath. All the aisles were focused on a group of musicians glowing under the midday sun. I couldn't look away as they swayed like dandelions in the wind, playing their instruments as if casting a magical spell.

Above them, a pink ballerina glided across a giant stage lined with marble columns. She twisted and turned, leapt and flipped as her body moved to the music. Immediately, I was spellbound by her tutu. The skirt was made up entirely of pink feathers tipped in glitter. Her bodice was lined with pink and red sequences, making the girl sparkle like a disco ball when she spun. Her curly black hair clung tightly to her waist, refusing to let go as the diamond crown on her head shifted side to side.

Was I in an outdoor theatre? My mind struggled to pull itself together. How on earth had the vampires kept it in such good shape? Or better yet, why had they kept it in the first place? Did all vampires overseas enjoy ballet? It was one of the craziest things I had come across so far. From what I knew, the average vampire didn't have emotions, or at least if they did they were usually focused around the enjoyment of torture and games like Ferid and Ky Luc. But an interest in watching humans perform? Crazy! Just what type of vampire had kidnapped me?

"Aw, the theatre again? Sir Waldo Geales," Lest Karr said, "What's so amazing about watching the livestock? Do humans with good singing voices have better quality blood?"

In a split second, my body dropped to the ground and hide behind the banister. My heart crawled into my throat and threatened to decorate the floor. Damn! This was bad, very bad! Why had I assumed I was alone? If a show was being performed, someone had to be watching it! I held my breath and cursed myself for listening to that girl. My time was up meaning my executioner would find me soon. How was I supposed to fake an escape attempt hiding in a theatre occupied by vampires! Knowing my luck, they were probably high ranking ones too, just great!

"What are you here for Lest Karr? Your assigned territory is Germany, go back to your place." A monotone voice danced across the seats and straight into my ears, overpowering the music. By the sound, if it, there were two vampires also watching the show. My hopes disintegrated in the flames of bad luck as recognised a voice. One was King Lest Karr while the other was obviously someone who was less than pleased to see him. Judging by the way he talked down to the king, he was probably a noble of a higher status.

"Oh? But I have nothing to do in Germany because I'm ruling perfectly," King Karr continued to speak, much to the other guy's annoyance. "Although, I can't say the same about our dearest Krul Tepes. It seems a new band of spellcasters has appeared in Japan and are threatening her rule."

What were these two talking about? Japan, spellcasters, magic, Krul Tepes? My instincts roared to life and screamed, 'WARNING!' as loud as it could! This situation couldn't get any worse. Not only had I trapped myself in a theatre with two super powerful vampires, my executioner was expecting to find me in a location that assured my escape. When he found me here, the only thing I could do to make it look like I was getting away was to jump off the mesne… Oh Lord, please help me!

"Jurisdiction of Japanese affairs is none of your business, Karr." The stranger continued to drawl on in monotone as the tension in my chest grew.

"Unfortunately, that is no longer true." Lest Karr replied. "A magic-user from Japan stowed-away on one of my German cargo planes. Sneaky thing was caught trying to kill a vampire!"

What!? That was the dumbest lie I had ever heard! My hatred for Lest Karr increased tenfold. Julian had kidnapped me from Japan at his request! Plus, I hadn't even been aware of my strange power, let alone knew that it could kill two vampires! They were technically already dead anyway so, in theory, I hadn't killed anyone! Why was this all-powerful bloodsucker trying to paint me as the bag guy? It didn't make logical sense.

"Why is this matter of the utmost importance to me?" The stranger sounded beyond bored. Clearly, he wasn't interested in the German king's fake story. Which meant there was a chance Lest Karr would end up killing me later! After all, if I wasn't useful to him, there was no reason to keep me alive!

"FOUND YOU!"

Ky Luc bursts into the room!

He kicked down the doors, spread his arms wide, and shouted to the rooftops. My heart skipped a beat, my executioner had arrived! Scrambling to my feet, I smiled at the progenitor. This was it, if Ky Luc was fast enough, he could kill me in one foul swoop before the kings even blinked!

A sly grin spread across his lips. Instantly I knew something was wrong. Instead of attacking me like we'd planned, he locked his hands behind his back and bowed towards the stage.

"My Kings," He said, "Apologises for intruding but there is a guest eager to meet you." He rose from his bow and gave me a cheeky wink.

The music came to a close as the ballerina took her final bow. I had thought no one but the kings had been in the audience, but I was mistaken. While betrayal left me sitting speechless on the mesne, the floor below erupted into a defining applause. Voices rang out over the clapping, cheering and yelling praises in a strange language. My ears heard the curtains sweep across the stage, finishing the show by closing with a 'swish'. The crowd started to disperse. The sound of shuffling feet and muffled chatter filled the theatre, breaking the beautiful illusion and snapping me out of my shock.

I had been deceived… misled… tricked! Ky Luc had never intended on killing me! He had been toying with my hopes from the start!

Rising in a daze, my hands latched onto the handrail and hauled my body up. My waist lent against the rail as my upper body dangerously tipped forward. The fall to the ground floor was half a story. If my body landed on its head, the landing would be fatal. 'WARNING!', 'WARNING!' My instincts screamed at my body to pull back, to jump down and walk away. The angle on my left shoulder whispered words of hope and peace. While the devil on my right shouted phrases of encouragement. It promised I would see my family again, that I would be happy and was going to a better place. After all, my family was waiting for me, it said. Shutting my eyes, a powerful serenity stilled my restless soul and filled my spirit with courage.

I tipped my head forward and tumbled off the rail.

"Oh no, you don't!"

Ky Luc swooped in out of nowhere and caught my body bridal style!?

"What are you doing? Let me go, YOU BLOODSUCKER!" I squirmed in his grasp, trying to break free. But the noble had no intention of letting me go.

He dropped his arms and let my body drop to the floor. My head hit the ground with a painful 'thump'. I tried spinning around onto my stomach and crawling away but the vampire was to kick! He slammed his foot onto my neck and pressed hard, barely leaving room for air.

In a panic, my arms flew to his foot and tried prying it off. But no matter how many times I scratched his skin or kicked his leg, he wouldn't let go!

"King Gaeles," Ky Luc spread his arms wide as if addressing an audience of thousands rather than two. "Let me introduce you to King Lest's Japanese stowaway, Akane Hyakuya."

In the blink of an eye, both vampires were at my side. While a smug looking Lest Karr stood at my left side, the other King stood above my head. He wore a long grey trench coat with black cuffs and a black collar. His hair was bleach blonde while his skin was tanned a light brown. A single diamond earring stud hung in his right ear and his hands were covered by black leather gloves. A white shirt hid behind a black vest and black dress pants covered his legs. Sleek leather shoes finished the foreign look, giving him a very grim-reaper-like style. Clearly, this vampire ranked higher than the German King, there was no doubt in my mind about that.

After a few tense seconds of quiet observation, the head noble extended his foot and kicked my side. The sudden jolt of pain rushed down my leg and stung my toes. The King noticed this and simply hummed his acknowledgment.

"You say she possess the Blessing of the Trinity?" He turned to Lest Karr with a mix of intrigue and disbelief on his face. The king nodded his response, confident in his findings.

Suddenly, all three pairs of red eyes fell on me. A small shiver ran up my spine as beads of sweat formed on my forehead. To be the main focus of not one, not two, but three noble vampires were intense! I tried to figure out how I had gotten myself into this situation, after all the possibility that I, Akane would lay in the presence of two vampire kings and three nobles in one lifetime were close to impossible! Why hadn't they just killed me yet? Why were they wasting their time investigating a lowly livestock? Nothing made sense anymore! I just wanted to die, was that too much to ask?

"Just kill me already," My hands slipped away from my captor's foot and my legs relaxed against the purple carpet. I stopped struggling and lay limp on the floor. There was no need to struggle anymore. One way or another, these three would kill me eventually and this nightmare would be over.

"You wish for us to end your life?" The mystery King asked.

The obvious answer was 'yes'. I had just thrown myself off a balcony for crying out loud! What other answer were they expecting?! Just as I opened my mouth to speak, an idea popped into my head. If I was to simply answer the question, then there would be no incentive for them to actually kill me. If I didn't answer, then that was like saying I had changed my mind! The best and only way to hit two birds with one stone was to challenge them while also answering the question.

Clearing my throat and closing my eyes, I shrugged my shoulders and mimicked the most innocent voice I knew, Taichi's!

"Only if you're capable," I said.

King Karr's eye twitched.

Bingo! With the noble in my grasp, I decided to provoke him a little further. All he needed was one more push and my soul would return to my family for sure!

"King twin tails over here couldn't kill me. So, I doubt you can, your highness."

Three, two, one…

"HOW DARE YOU!" Lest Karr had his hand through my chest and wrapped around my heart in a flash! My mind didn't have time to register the pain as he forcefully ripped it out, sending a geyser of blood splashing over the floor. I watched with quiet satisfaction as the King slowly crushed my heart with his hand. Drops of blood fell on his shoes while the rest soaked into his shirt collar, dying it red.

"YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A BLOOD BAG! A JUICE BOX!" He hurled my deflated heart across the room with vicious rage! He watched it rolled over the carpet and hit the beginning of the musician's box, deflating like a rotten banana peel doomed to never reach the bin.

The world began to grow dim as darkness snuck over the edges of my vision. A bubble of joy filled my stomach! I had done it, I was finally going to join my family in heaven! This was really the end! Resting my head on the floor, I waited for the sweet release of death to overtake me.

But it never came.

"My King stand back! Her chest is glowing!" Ky Luc said.

Once again, a bright, golden light burst from my chest, filling every corner of the theatre in golden light! My throat filled with blood as a single golden chain emerged from the light and shot towards my heart! The light grew brighter as the chain glowed with raw power! A familiar tugging sensation swept through my gut, forcing me to sit up and clutch my stomach. I blinked and tears of blood streamed from my tear sockets, scorching my cheeks and stinging my eyes!

'SHINK!' The golden chain harpooned my heart, skewering it like a shish-kebab before sliding back to the light. More boiling blood coursed through my veins as my crushed heart sunk back into place and began healing itself. My skin began to glow all over, spreading from my chest all the way to my toes!

"Summon the progenitor council, Queen Krul has some explaining to do."

Mystery vampire's words barely reached my ears. My glowing skin seeped with a warmth that comforted my crying soul, urging it to rest. Every muscle in my body relaxed and all my thoughts melted into goo.

'BOOOM!'

Dust and plaster showered everywhere!

We all looked up as the entire stage crumbled to smithereens! Concrete sprayed out, smashing the bottom seats to bits. Wooden planks moaned and groaned before letting out sickening cracks! Dust floated above the chaos, shrouding the rubble in smoky ash clouds. A man dressed in a black suit stood calmly atop the entire disaster. His black eyes were cold and calculating while his black hair was razor sharp. I rubbed my eyes and squinted at the intruder. He wore a twenty-first-century style black and white suit and dawned fancy dress shoes and white gloves

Immediately, I knew something was off about this guy He seemed like a vampire but had no red eyes, no fangs and didn't wear the standard Victorian-styled clothing. Plus, the man looked familiar…like I'd seen him somewhere before long, long ago…

As the man dusted the rubble of his shoulders, it hit me!

"Mr Saito?"

 **Thank you soooooooo much for reading this! Every view is music to my ears and every review is an inspiration for my heart!** **I'm currently working on editing/re-working the next chapter. Sorry if your waiting for a continuation of the story, I PROMISE to keep moving forward once I feel these past chapters are up too scratch xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Alright, here is the new and improved chapter four! Sorry it took me so long to write :/ It was really hard trying to express the many complex emotions and changes Akane goes through in this chapter… hence the SUPER long wait for the update**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph**

I never knew my birth parents. To me, they were nothing more than two adults who happened to have created me. They were just fairy-tale characters that existed in photos and stories from strangers. In my two-year-old mind, parents were simply a man and a woman that I saw every day and who cared for me. Mr Saito and the director had been those two adults. After all, they were the two adults who looked after me, who feed me and cared for me daily.

Mr Saito had been the one to name me, 'Akane Hyakuya'. When I had to visit the doctors, he had been the one to hold my hand and buy me hot chocolates afterwards. Although he didn't live at the orphanage, he always visited once a week, bringing new friends and a gentle smile. The director was the woman who fed me, clothed me and tucked me in at night. She had been the one to teach me that the other kids at the orphanage were my family. Even though we weren't connected by blood, she had said that it was feelings of love that bonded us together. In my mind, she was my 'mum' and Mr Saito was my 'dad'. With all the kids at the orphanage as my siblings, we formed one big happy family!

But when the virus had killed the director, us siblings all lost our mother-figure. While I had always assumed Mr Saito had died as well, there was never any proof of a body. But, since we were all kidnapped before Mika and Yuu could investigate, our father-figure simply stayed missing. Yet four years later, there he stood alive and well!? A million questions flashed through my head! How was this possible? Mr Saito was a human, meaning he should have been killed by the virus?! So how?

"Is it really you, Mr Saito? How… how are you here? How did you survive the virus!?" My voice wobbled with confusion as my mind spun out of control. This was crazy, insane! I had to be dreaming, right? There was no way the man before me was my dad…

Mr Saito glanced my way. He dragged his dark eyes across my body, examining ever neck and cranny. They moved from my tattered clothes to my puffy red eyes and straggly hair before lingering on the faint glow coming from my chest. A shiver ran down my spine as his eyes narrowed in concentration. Why was he looking at me like that? What was he steering at? And how was he alive? He looked like my dad but something was off. Mr Saito I knew would have embraced me in his arms as soon as our eyes met, not examine my body like it was a peculiar result in lab test!? Something wasn't right here…

"I'll be taking my property back now, gentlemen," He spoke calmly.

Before I could process his words, Mr Saito flickered out of existence!

Pushing myself into a sitting position, I watched in utter disbelief as both Ky Luc and Lest Karr's heads were torn off. A split second later, their torsos were sliced in half and scattered across the theatre. With a head on the stage, another by the door, a torso hanging off the mesne and the other embedded in the wall, it took everything I had to not jump to my feet and run away! This man wearing Mr Saito's skin was a monster!

King Gaeles seemed unfazed by the scene around us. He stood guarding me as if it was simply another day in the office.

Mr Saito suddenly reappeared before him, gloves blood stained and hair slightly dishevelled. He looked straight past the vampire king and smiled innocently at me like he hadn't just taken down a vampire noble and a vampire king a moment before!?

"Come, my dear, we're leaving now." He said sweetly.

All around me the world blurred and the wind whistled in my ears. Then, just as quickly as it began, the world slowed to a stop and the wind died down. We now both stood amongst the trees and bushes of a park. Everywhere I looked, grass spread beneath my feet and green leaves swayed gently in the afternoon breeze. Birds chirped happily in their nest and the sunshine's rays warmed my skin. A serene peace washed over my senses, erasing my panic and stilling my mind. My shaking hands became steady and my racing heart slowed to a gentle thrum.

Raising my eyes to the man before me, I realised he was no longer the father figure that raised me. He was a monster in disguise. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to fear him. Why should I care when I was going to die soon anyway? Wait a minute… he wasn't going to kill me, right? That was why he had teleported us to a beautiful park, right? RIGHT?

When Mr Saito made no move to harm me, anger boiled in my chest before exploding like a fireworks display!

This wasn't fair! Why did I get to live, huh? Taichi, Ako, Chihiro, Kota, Fumie, and Mikaela all deserved to live too! So why? Why me and not them!? Why was he going after a pathetic human like me and not a strong-willed boy like Yuu!? IT WASN'T RIGHT! I DIDN'T DESERVE TO LIVE!

"Kill me."

"Excuse me?" A look of quiet shock crossed Mr Saito's face.

Looking directly into his eyes, I turned my deepest, darkest desires into words, "Please… kill me… I have no reason to live anymore."

"What about your brother, Yuichiro? I believe he is waiting for you in Japan."

"He abandoned me."

Mr Saito mulled over my words, rolling them over his tongue a couple of times before spitting it back out. He placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "Yuichiro is not the type to abandon his family. So, are you sure he left you behind on purpose, Akane?"

Guilt hit me like a kick in the gut… All this time, I had believed Yuu had left me on purpose… that he had given up searching because... well because he thought I was dead!? He thought I had fallen behind him even though we both knew I was the faster runner... If Yuu hadn't heard my shouts, then it made sense that he would have left with those strangers. But how hadn't he heard me? I was just a few seconds behind him?! Surely someone as stupid as him would notice a girl running and crying behind him?

"Akane, listen."

Mr Saito pulled me close, wrapped one arm around my waist and placed a hand on my head. Instantly, tears welled in my eyes and I melted in his embrace. His hug was warm and gentle, reminding me of the happy days we spent together at the orphanage. Laughing and joking, hot chocolates and big smiles, carefree afternoons and hot summer days. I squeezed him tighter and cried with everything I had!

"Shh, It's ok." Mr Saito stroked my hair as his deep voice soothed my sorrow and guilt, "You're safe now."

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I don't want to die, please! I want to live for Yuu!" My voice wobbled as snot and salty tears mixed into one. Overwhelming shame washed over me. How could I have been so selfish? Yuu needed me and here I was trying to kill myself!? What was I thinking… how could I just abandon him like that? HOW COULD I ABANDON MY BROTHER LIKE THAT!?

"There, there, take a deep breath. I'll reunite you with Yuichiro," Mr Saito cooed.

Pulling away from him just enough to look into his eyes, I held on to his arms for dear life.

"Promise?" I asked.

He smiled and pulled me back into his arms.

"I promise."

… **5-year time skip…**

" _Akane?" She stands in the middle of a spring meadow. Daisies intertwin with butter cups as a gentle breeze tussles her hair. "You're coming with us?" Mika stands by her side, the setting sun dying his clothes pink and orange. Her heart fills with joy as she sees the rest of her family frolicking through the flowers. "Of course, I am!" she says. Ako and Fumie wave to her while Kota chases after a giggling Tachi. The sweet sound of Chihiro's singing voice dances past her ears, causing a smile to light up her face. As she goes to take a step forward, shackles burst from the ground! They lock her wrists and ankles in their clutches before sinking back into the grass! "WAIT!" She tries to reach out to Mika. "DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT ME!" She cries. All her siblings watch as she is pulled further and further into the earth until only her head remains. "I'm sorry Akane. But, we have to go." Mika turns his back on her and walks towards the rest of her family. "NO! PLEASE WAIT!" Her chin disappears underground, then her mouth, and then her nose. The last thing she sees is her family walking over the horizon, never to look back._

'Ahhhhhhhhh!' I jolted awake screaming!

Wrapping my arms around my knees, I curled into a ball and sobbed. My chest began to glow faintly, burning my skin and stinging my eyes. The chains wanted to come out again, but I couldn't let them.

Images of my dead brothers and sisters plagued my mind, sticking to my memory like glue. Every time I closed my eyes, they were there waiting for me. Their eyes empty, livestock clothes bloodied and scared faces pleading for help… my help.

The light grew brighter and a single chain began to form. Placing both hands around the chain, I tried to push it back in. But as I had learned the hard way, the chains reacted to my feelings of danger, meaning they would appear to protect me from anything I perceived as harmful.

"I'm ok, I'm ok, I'm ok," I repeated the chant over and over again, rocking back and forth to the rhythm, "You're ok, Akane, You're ok." Taking slow deep breathes, my heart rate began to slow and my terror melted away.

Finally, the chain slunk back inside the light and disappeared.

Not two seconds later, the door to my room/cell swung open and the devil himself waltzed in.

"Another nightmare?" He asked.

I didn't need to nod for him to know the answer. He had probably been observing me through the cameras anyway. Honestly, I didn't understand why he bothered pretending to be my friend in the first place? Ever since he had returned me to Japan, Saito had done nothing but pock and prod my body with needles! He incessantly experimented with my powers limits. Sometimes slicing off limbs until the chains appeared or starving me to death until the chains healed me again. Other times, he would inject me with strange drugs, forcing my 'blessing' to activate. Whenever this happened, they manifested with no will and simply lay limp on the floor like a soggy noodle. Each experiment, every 'training' session, every new research session ended with me lying unconscious on the floor with blood seeping from her eyes, mouth and nose.

"Your improving," He said.

His gaze swept the small room with content. The dusty concrete floor and iron-clad walls were riddled with hand-sized-holes, courtesy of moi. The ceiling fared no better, every square inch was painted a slightly different shade of grey. Saito's pathetic attempt at covering the holes I created in the night, obvious to the naked eye. Apart from the metal walls, concrete floor and bulletproof door, my cell had one bare desk and a single pink bed that acted as the elephant in the room.

It always amused gave me a prickle of satisfaction to see the surprised faces of new researchers when they entered to see their test subject sitting on a bright, pink bed with love-heart cushions. Their jaws always fell open and their eyes bugled out of their head. No one was ever prepared to see their boss's number-one-star looking like a pretty pink princess in the middle of a bare-bones cell. It was like a badly written joke on a soap-opera!

"What do you want Saito?" Pushing my blanket aside, I placed my feet on the ground and scowled.

Saito ignored me and turned his gaze to the bottle of pills on my desk. He picked them up and unscrewed the lid. Blue and yellow capsules sat inside, untouched.

"Why haven't you been taking your medicine? You know they increase your bodies tolerance levels."

I said nothing.

What was I meant to say? 'It's been five years and you still won't let me go find Yuu?' Or, 'I'm a sixteen-year-old girl and this is enslavement?' Anything I said to him would go in one ear and out the other. All Saito wanted was for his favourite experiment to stay in its cage and act compliant.

Too bad I wasn't having a bar of it! Folding my arms and jutting out my chin, I spat out my reply. "I don't need them anymore! I have full control of the chains AND I can sustain them for hours at a time. My body's tolerance is at the highest level it's going to get, Saito!"

Saito shook his head and handed me two pills, "Take them."

"No! I don't need them anymore!" My hand swatted the pills away, sending them flying across the room. There was no way I would be taking those pills today! They tasted gross and they made my body ache like I'd been hit by a bus.

"Well," Saito turned his back and began walking to the open door. "I was going to tell you the location of your brother today. But, since you refuse to take your medicine," He looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with mine. "You clearly don't want to know."

His game was an obvious one. He would tell me the location of my brother on the condition that I continued taking the 'medicine' like a good little pet.

But that was the catch, he would only promise the info and not the permission to go there. I knew the trick well, every time I started to resist the experiments or tried to undermine his authority. He would conjure up some tidbit of info about Yuu and lure me back in, hook line and sinker.

"You're right Saito, I don't want to know."

I took the devil's look of pure confusing as a win! This time, I wasn't going to play his little game. He was going to have to play mine! Swaggering up to him like a runway model, I took the bottle of pills from his hand and uncapped it.

"And I won't be needing these anymore, either." Slowly, I tipped the pills onto the floor and watched then scatter like a mountain of ants.

The tension between us built in the air, suffocating the dust bunnies and scaring away the draft. Neither of us moved a muscle, each waiting for the other to make the first move…

Suddenly, Saito's black chains shot forward!

Quickly, I jumped back and landed on my bed. I summoned my own golden chains and shot them at him! Both sets of chains attacked one another, tearing into the walls and ceiling.

"That all you got, Mr Saito? I thought you had the speed and strength of a second progenitor!" I dive-rolled of my bed just as a chain sliced it in half and ran towards him. He still stood in the same spot as he didn't have a care in the world, "You do realise I'm going easy on you, right? You don't have a single hope of hitting me, Akane."

My chains went into a frenzy! Did he think I was stupid enough to charge him head-on? Clearly, I was smarter than he thought! Aiming for the door, his chains followed me across the room, my own batting away his.

Just as I reached the open door, Saito raised his hand.

Excruciating pain erupted from my waist. I fell to the floor as blood splattered the door frame! My hands sprang into action and tried to cover the wound. But my torso wasn't there… he had sliced my body in half!

But he wasn't done.

Moving at the speed of light, Saito severed off my arms and legs, leaving me as just an upper torso and head!

The devil stood over my head, a triumphant smirk plastered on his narcissistic lips. "See?" He gestured to my limbs scattered around the room. "I was going easy on you," His devilish taunt sent a shiver down my spine. This man was not my Mr Saito anymore!

He retracted his cursed chains, allowing my own to fetch my limbs. Thirty painful minutes later, my body had healed and Saito had finished his gloating.

"Alright, Saito. You win! I'll take the pills." My chains disappeared as I reached to my left and picked up two pills. Putting them in my mouth, I pretended to swallow, making sure to hide the pills behind my gums.

"Happy?"

Saito lent down and placed a hand on my shoulder, "Do not test me again." With his threat firmly cemented in my mind, he waltzed out of my room, leaving behind a war-torn mess.

Immediately, I spat out the pills and wiped my mouth. Ha! Jokes on you Devil! Did he really think I would submit after that little kafuffle? We had fought tooth and nail like that nearly every month for the past year! That was nothing compared to his scolding three years ago!?

Smiling to myself, I whipped out Saito's master key-card.

'This escape is going to be a breeze!' I thought happily.

Pulling on blue jeans and a pink tee-shirt, I put on my black boots and black leather jacket, completing my favourite look. Then, I walked over to my miraculously untouched mirror and pulled my hair into my trademark side-braid. I had kept it long all these years so, Yuu would recognize me when we met again. Tying it off with the old pink hair clip that her littlest sister, Fumie had given her. It had been her tenth birthday when she got it. Fumie always kept an array of pretty clips and hair ties. She had decided to sacrifice her favourite as a present. I never went anywhere without it! After all, it was the last tie I had for my family!

Using the silver key-card to open the door, I stepped into the hallway.

The familiar smell of urine and sweat greeted me. Dirty concrete walls and rusty cell bars spread out as far as the eye could see. My footsteps echoed down the halls as I was marched toward the surveillance room. I passed countless cells filled with Saito's test subjects. Teens and children, girls and boys, each sat in a different state of sleep. One kid was nodding off, leaning forward every few seconds before jolting awake again. Another boy was snoring loudly on the floor while the teen opposite was twitching violently, probably dreaming of running away from a vampire. The cells were sealed shut with a strong curse. Only the master key-card could break the spell.

Lucky for them, I now had the master key! As calmly as I could, I approached a cell occupied by two teen boys. One was huddled in the far corner, shivering. The other lay star-fished across the dirty floor, twitching and whimpering as he slept.

"Psst!" I whispered, "I'm getting you out here."

The boy in the corner eyed me suspiciously. My heart couldn't blame the poor guy, he probably suffered at the hands of the same researchers as me. He had every right to be wary. But after a couple of seconds of waving the master card at him, he scrambled to his feet and woke up his sleeping friend. Both boys bowed their heads in thanks before latching onto the door, preparing to pull. Using the key-card, I sliced the spell in half and set the boys free.

"Thank you! How can we ever repay you?!" Both boys pulled me into a bear hug, squeezing the ever-living daylights out of me!

"You can take this key and free everyone," The boys pulled back and I breathed in a gulp of air. Damn, those guys had a grip! "Listen, I need to sneak into the surveillance room and open the gates. Will you help me?"

The shortest boy snatched the card, "You can count on us, sis!"

Good, the first step of the plan was complete. Now I just had to sneak into the surveillance room without triggering the alarm.

"Warning! Prisoners are escaping!" Guards seemingly emerged from thin air. I stood back as they raced past in a panic.

Well, shit. Guess subtlety wasn't going to work today.

Quickly, I weaved my way past the army of guards and made a mad dash for the surveillance room! Summoning two chains and wrapping them around my feet, I kicked the door down and flew into the room like a ninja.

"What the?!" Several men rose to their feet, startled by my sudden appearance.

"Hello, don't mind me." Before anyone could shout 'intruder!', my chains threw them against the wall, knocking them out cold.

The room's control panel beeped and blinked like a disco ball. Ahhhhhh…. ok? Having no idea what I was doing, I sat down at the first computer screen and began typing in 'Yuichiro Hyakuya'. A file appeared on the screen. Clicking on it brought forth my brother's details from his time at the Hyakuya Orphanage. However, no current location was displayed.

"Damn!" I only had a few more minutes left until the guards woke up! There had to be something somewhere, right? Frantically, I began clicking every icon on the home screen. File after file appeared but still, no location data.

Frustrated, my hands slammed the keyboard! "Come on! Find Yuu!"

The screen glitched for a split second, switching between static and rainbow coloured lines before a map filled the screen. A red dot labelled 'Yuichiro Hyakuay' blinked over the city of Nagoya.

"YUU!" So, he was in Nagoya! That was only one day away!

Alright, step two complete.

Now, step three!

Jumping to my feet, I ran back down the hallway and into the prison block. The sight before me was utter chaos! Hordes of children were attacking the guards. Alarm bells bleared and flashing red lights lit the scene up like a horror movie! At the very back of the crowd, my two boys were busy freeing the last lot to kids. Looking to my left, I spotted the emergency exit door!

Perfect! Once again, I wrapped my chains around my feet and heroically kicked down the door. The loud, 'CLANG!' Caught everyone's attention, guards and children alike.

"FOLLOW ME!" My voice boomed over the sirens, rattling the cell doors and vibrating into everybody's ears.

Without waiting for a reply, I bolted through the door and ran for dear life! Three metres later, my feet busted down one more door and I emerged into a large warehouse. Rows upon rows of storage units ran the entire width of the space. Boxes filled with blankets, food, needles, and much more filled the units. I was in the storage zone. Which meant the pipelines were close!

The sound of hundreds of little feet slapping against concrete echoed out of the exit door. Loud voices slowly filled the room as kid after kid shot out of the door into the warehouse.

"Alright, everyone!" Sending my chains into the roof, I hoisted myself above the crowd to catch their attention. "At the end of this warehouse is a sewerage drain that leads to the sewers. Follow it to the end and you will all be home free!"

Just like that, the crowd jumped into action! The two boys with the master key card guided the group down the aisles towards the sewer. How did they know where It was? I assumed was due to their knowledge of a floor plan or simple instinct?!

Now for my escape!

Spotting a ladder leading to the roof to my left, I swung across the warehouse and hoisted myself up the ladder. Reaching the manhole, I once again used my signature move and busted down the door with a 'BANG!'

An old aeroplane hanger greeted me. To my left, a giant green cargo plane sat gathering dust. To my right, a black helicopter nested next to three cars, The first a black convertible, the second a white minivan and, the third a green cargo truck.

"Alright, the convertible it is!" Sprinting for the black car, the alarm bells stopped and the light returned to normal.

Oh no, that wasn't good! Just as I reached the car, a black chain snaked out the shadows and harpooned my left leg!

"Going somewhere?" Saito smiled as I squirmed in pain! His cursed chains markings began to crawl up my leg, twisting and turning as they burned my skin and drained my strength.

"If you go outside the virus will kill you, Akane."

Of course, the virus! How could I have forgotten? Would I really die? Or would my chains healing ability save me? There was only one way to find out!

"My chains can heal ANY injury, Saito!" I placed one hand around the chain.

"Besides," My eyes burrowed into my saviour turned capturers.

"I'm not afraid to die!"

Using all my strength, I yanked the chain out! Blood soaked my jean leg as tears ran down my cheeks. Thankfully, my leg began to glow brightly as my chains healing power sealed the wound and removed the curse. "Chains! Protect me!" At my command, thirty chains sprung from my glowing chest! They glowed fiercely, floating around my body as a shield. I turned my attention back to the car. Looking inside, I noticed the keys still in the ignition. Someone must have used it recently. Or someone had meant for me to escape?!

Ok, step three complete.

Now for the final step, escape!

"Your chains won't hold against mine for long, Akane Hyakuya." Saito's voice sounded close, very close! "My will to live has kept me alive for three thousand years! Do you really think your will to save your brother is stronger than my own?"

Saito's chains danced around my own, winding themselves around mine and then pinning them to the concrete floor. It took everything I had to stand still and watch in horror as he ended the chaos of battling chains, with nothing more than the flick of his wrist.

Holy commands filled with power spilled onto my tongue as the devil approached my quivering form.

"In the name of the Trinity, the Holy Chains of Elohim rebuke you!"

At my command, my chains burst into flames! They grew hotter and hotter, spreading ripples of red and orange flame through the entire hanger. Steam rose off the sizzling machines, their paint bubbling and peeling away. Heat waves swan across the floor, creating an invisible sea of fire around my ankles! My whole body lit up like a star as screams of agony ran from my mouth!

Lifting my arms to the sky, it took every ounce of discipline I had to shout from the top of my lungs!

"STAY… A…WAAAYYY!"

Thirty fiery chains ascended through the air, braking Saito's cursed ones to fly into the sky! They flew around the room with incredible speed before impaling every inch of the old hanger building. Taking a deep breath, I knew what I had to do.

"I REBUKE THEE!" My voice ignited the power of the fire!

The whole building burst into flames! Exploding like one giant firework before disintegrating into nothing but black ash.

Collapsing to the ground, my chains disappeared and the glowing stopped. Leaving me surrounded in a field of black soot and melting machines. Nothing was left, the windows, the walls, the roof, everything was gone! Just, 'POOF' and they were swallowed up in the flames. Not even the infamous Mr Saito was left standing! He had vanished in the smoke, most likely slinking away to survive another day.

Very slowly, I crawled over to the black convertible and jumped in. Reeving the engine and putting on my seatbelt, I was off.

"Yuu, here I come!"

 **Thank you for reading this far! I hope you're enjoying the story because I sure am having fun writing it! Please review xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Finally re-edited this chapter! I'm sorry if you dislike the changes, the words just weren't flowing properly in my mind and I felt it could be improved**

 **Thank you to everyone who is reading my story. It means the world to me to know others are enjoying this story as much as me. Xx**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph**

Out on the open road, nothing but sludge filled pot-holes and burnt up car husks accompanied me. Everywhere I looked, crumbling homes and weed infested gardens sat in ruins. Broken glass and fallen traffic lights lay scattered along the highways. Run-down concrete jungles and abandoned suburbs were all that was left of human civilisation. As the engine roared and the wind blew through my hair, my eyes looked for other humans. But no matter how far I drove, there was never a single soul in sight. Saito must've lied about the virus, after all, I hadn't died from being outside yet. But, judging by the abandoned world around me, it seemed like everyone else had.

Up above, the clear blue sky went on forever! The sun's rays shone brightly through tiny wisps of clouds, acting as rays of hope amongst despair. My mind wandered as I remembered that birds used to fly in the sky. Their beautiful feathered wings carrying their songs across the city. But now, the skies were devoid of life. Where chirps and squawks used to be heard, nothing but silence took its place. A green road sign, barely hanging to its pole, dangled over the motorway.

'Five miles to Nagoya,' It read.

Since the sun rose, I had been driving towards where I hoped Nagoya was. Honestly, it was a miracle I had even been going in the right direction! Yuu's location hadn't come with a map, just a vague description of his whereabouts. Common sense had demanded I didn't stop moving after escaping Saito's evil layer. Any second longer spent looking for a map would have meant death! Even now, Saito probably had lackeys searching for me. If I slowed down or took one wrong turn, it was game over! I was not going to let that happen! Not today or any other day! Finding Yuu was all that mattered and no one was going to stop me!

Over the horizon, tips of sky risers began to spill into view. YES! Nagoya was close! The black convertible hummed as it zoomed towards the city with excitement.

Dodgy power lines and rusting metal cranes soon appeared. Skyscrapers once majestic sat tangled in weeds, rotting with rust and decay. Billboards stood faded and torn, the weather stripping away its dignity piece by piece. Reaching the city limits at midday, a record time if I didn't say so myself! I trusted my instincts and took my first right before speeding down the main road.

Driving through the city was like entering a ghost town. The city, just like everything else, was nothing like I remembered. Streets stood empty and hollow skeletons replaced busy shops. A feeling of longing washed over me. I missed the businessmen rattling into their cell phones while they crossed the street. I missed the sound of honking horns and crowds of jaywalkers scrambling to get to work. Most of all, I missed the full clothing shops and busy food stalls that breathed life into the city. Every day had once promised hustle and bustle. My trip to school had always been filled with excitement and adventure! But now, nothing but tumbleweeds and piles of rubble remained.

"Yuichiro! Where are you?" My voice rattled down the street, breaking the city's airy silence.

When no one replied, I sighed. Nagoya was an endless maze! How was I supposed to find? He could have been anywhere! Might he not have even been in the city? For all I knew, he could have been hiding I the suburbs in an underground bunker? Pulling the car over to the side of the road, I hit the brakes. The engine rumbled to a stop, groaning as it clicked out of gear. Brushing my hair out of my eyes, I jumped out of the car to stretch.

My first strategy of aimlessly driving around wasn't going to get me anywhere. Strategy number two, finding a high vantage point and screaming Yuu's name also wasn't going to help. If I was going to pull off the impossible, I would need a hint or a small clue. But how was I going to find one?

'AHHH!'

I spun around, arms ready to attack. Where had that scream come from?

"AHHHhhh!"

There it was again!

My feet took off towards the sound like a fly drawn to a lamp. I listened carefully and traced the noise behind an old shopping mall. Hoping beyond hope that Yuu was the one screaming, I ran around the building as fast as my legs could carry me! Sliding around the corner, I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight before me.

Nagoya town square lay ahead. Every inch of the square was full of humans in uniforms battling vampires in army clothing! An overwhelming smell of iron and sweat filled my nostrils as one by one, the soldiers were ripped apart. The sound of metal against metal ground against my ears. Boastful taunts and manic laughs accompanied each blood hungry vampire! I watched in stunned horror as one man was pinned to the ground by his own sword. In a flash, fangs bit into his neck and his life was drained away.

Suddenly, a strong hand tapped my shoulder. Glancing behind me, a handsome male bloodsucker dominated my vision. He wore the uniform of a vampire noble, white pants, knee-high boots and, a white jacket with a short marron cape around his shoulders. His brown hair hung in a plait all the way to his waist while his red fringe hid his forehead. His sparkling red eyes, pointy ears and white fangs grinned at me with the sick glee of a predator. My eyes flicked down to his side. A fancy long sword hung strapped to his waist while a dagger was strapped to his inner thigh. There was no doubt in my mind, this man was a noble!

"What do we have here?" The vampire spun me around and placed both hands on his hips. "A cute blood bag wanting to join the fight?"

I wanted to run, to jump into the car and escape! I wanted to summon my chains and blitz the noble out of existence! I wanted to do absolutely anything than stand there like an idiot welcoming execution! But fear trickled in and my mind froze like a deer caught in the headlights! Once again, I was my eleven-year-old self, helpless and defenceless against the deadly fangs of the vampires.

"St…stay…ba…ck..." My voice trembled as the noble's eyes locked onto mine. There I was, standing before a monster and my body was doing nothing to save me! How on earth was I going to get out of this alive? My holy chains might work if I was just facing one noble. Unfortunately, my mind knew all too well that if I attacked, I would not be fighting just one vampire. The attack would draw the attention of the entire army of vampires to my left. It was a lose-lose situation!

Screams of agony rang through the air. Next to me, the sound of bones breaking and weapons clashing puttered out. The massacre was close to an end. Soon all eyes would turn to us and my chance of escape would be lost. Now was my only chance to act! Come on Akane, you've gotten out of worse predicaments than this! Get your head in the game, girl! Steadying myself, I prepared to summon a chain and take the noble by surprise. However, my plan fell apart at the seams as two female nobles appeared either side of their master.

"Are you going to have her, Lord Crowley? or can I?" The shortest vampire with a perky bob of purple hair eyed me hungrily.

"Chess you are such a glutton! Haven't you had enough today?" The female vampire with platinum blonde hair pulled into curly pigtails folded her arms and rolled her eyes at the girl. "Don't be such a spoilsport, Horn!" Chess said.

"Enough!" Lord Crowley raised his hand and silenced the girls. He gently placed both hands on my shoulders causing bile to rise in my throat.

"She's mine," He said.

Instantly my chains reacted! My chest glowed to life and unleashed several chains towards the predator! They impaled him in the stomach with so much force, the vamp went flying across the square! My tongue flew into action, beginning the incantation before he could escape!

"In the name of the Trinity, the holy chains of Elohim vanq…"

Crowley grabbed my gold chains and yanked them out, dropping them to the ground and leaping several metres away.

Damn! This noble was good, he must be a high-ranking progenitor to have the speed and power to rip out my blessed chains! Who was this guy? My chains floated around me like tiny dragons waiting for my command.

Crowley drew his sword. I watched in astonishment as the sword began to suck his blood, turning the blade red! What kind of weapon was that thing? It was disgusting! With one sweeping movement, he hit the ground with his sword!

An explosion of dirt and gale force winds zoomed towards me! Two chains anchored themselves in the ground while the others formed a shield in front of my body. The vamps attack sliced into me like a knife! Rubble and dirt whizzed past, bouncing off my shield into the buildings lining the square.

The attack stopped and I heard the vamp whistle. "Damn, that's some weapon you got there!"

My golden chains unravelled and moved back into their defensive position. On the outside, I was sure I looked like a badass. But on the inside, I was shaking in my boots! My chains had never done that before!? How had they warded of that attack? This was insane! What else had Saito neglected to mention about the blessing of the Trinity?

Before my mind had time to ponder further, my chains launched themselves at Crowley, aiming for his heart. He batted the chains away like they were nothing before twirling his sword and waltzing towards me.

"Repeating the same attack? That's going to get you nowhere, little human."

He was right, this wasn't getting me anywhere! I had to come up with another exit strategy. Frantically, my eyes searched for an exit while my mind whirred into action! To my left was an alleyway. To my right was the council building. Behind me stood Chess and Horn, while Crowley stood in front of me. Ok, neither of those options was good. Vampires were fast, meaning I didn't have time to run to the alleyway or to the council building. Old powerlines ran from rooftop too rooftop but that wouldn't work either. Vampires could jump incredibly high, although it did make them slower…

Dread ran through my veins, up was my only option. Using my chains like a grappling hook, I wrapped them around the nearest power line and pulled. In a flash, I soared through the air, arms flailing, lungs screaming and legs thrashing! Three seconds later, my feet landed on the powerlines. My grappling hook yanked itself out of the building and returned to my side.

"Huh, how's that for new moves, bloodsucker!" I yelled triumphantly.

Both Chess and Horn 'oo'ed and 'ahh'ed at me as if my new move were merely a fancy performance. Crowley simply smirked. Clearly, he was enjoying this, much to my dismay! Why did all vampire nobles find it funny when a human fought back? Were they really that arrogant?! Death could claim them too, they weren't immune!

Shooting my chains towards the nearest rooftop, I contained my elaborate escape attempt. The chains pulled me forward, sending my body soaring through the air. For the briefest moment, I felt like I was flying like a bird. Then my body slammed into the rooftop, crushing the feeling of freedom in an instant.

"Hmmm, you're getting better." Crowley appeared on the opposite corner of the building, unscathed and brimming with confidence.

For goodness sake! Why wouldn't this vamp give up already? Spreading my arms wide and anchoring my feet into the concrete, I ordered my chains to fan out behind me before turning my gaze towards the battle-hungry monster.

"What's your problem?" I asked angrily, "I clearly have nothing to do with your stupid war! So, why are you chasing me!?"

"I've heard of you," He said. "You're the mystery experiment Lord Gaeles ordered be captured and killed. Akane Hyakuya, correct?"

How? How on earth did he know who I was? Argh, can't focus on that right now, my first priority was to make a getaway, not scout for info.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my mind to the heavens and angelic commands spilled from my tongue, "In the name of the Trinity, the Holy chains of Elohim vanquish you!"

My chest began to glow again as several chains prepared to attack.

"Ugh, this looks like a problem Ferid can deal with," In the blink of an eye, Crowley swiftly jabbed his hand straight through my chest!

My vision began to fade while my body ached with pain. The monster ripped his hand out, my heart now in his grip. He smiled sweetly at me before dropping my heart on the floor. I could feel my body shutting down. The lights grew dim, my muscles became numb, then I finally slipped into oblivion.

…

 _Voices echoed off pristine marble walls. Beautiful decorations ran up marble columns. Up above, a giant crystal chandelier illuminated the room. "Hey, Akane!" She looks down. All around her, the bodies of her family lie in puddles of blood. The disembodied head of Kota stares at her, unblinking. "Why did you leave us, Akane?" Lord Ferid looms over her. She stumbles back and trips. Mika's body lies lifeless under her feet. "no, No, NO!" She screams! Ferid bares his fangs, drinking up her fear with glee. He lifts his hand and Yuu appears in his clutches. His green eyes shine with panic, "Akane! Help me!" She desperately reaches out to her brother, "LET HIM GO!" She cries. But Ferid ignores her and sinks his fangs into her brother's neck. Yuu kicks and screams in protest! Tears run down his cheeks as he struggles with all his might! She is helpless, she can't do anything to save her brother! After five brutal seconds, Lord Ferid finally drops Yuu's drained body onto the floor. He licks his lips, eyes now focused on her. "You're next." He says._

My eyes opened wide.

Ferid…

Crowley had mentioned that monster's name… He seemed to know him… Did that mean that monster was coming to get me? Was he on his way right now?

My mind spiralled out of control, the thought of seeing that monster again scared me out of wits! My whole body shook and my heart raced a thousand miles an hour! Cold beads of sweat trickled down my face, soaking my hair and staining my top. I tried to swallow down the rising vomit in my throat as my lips quivered and my teeth chattered uncontrollably! Ferid was coming and there was nothing I could do about it…

FERID WAS COMING! THAT MONSTER WAS GOING TO KILL ME!

"Look, Lord Crowley! The humans awake!" Chess said.

Immediately, my body snapped to attention!

FERID WAS COMING! I HAD TO ESCAPE NOW!

Scanning the room, my brain tried to register the situation. I was lying on a couch in some type of office. In the centre of the room, Lord Crowley sat at a large wooden desk, shuffling through papers idly. Horn sat on a bright black and blue checkered rug, quite content feeding from a human. While Chess was straddling my waist, pinning my arms to my side and re-plaiting my hair as she hummed.

Okay, things were bad, but I had the trinity on my side! If I summoned my holy light and blinded them, I could take the nobles by surprise, vaporize them, then run out the door to my freedom! Ready, set, GO!

Immediately, I willed my chest to glow and tried to sit up.

"Whoa, settle down honey!" In the blink of an eye, all three vampires were upon me! Chess had her hands around my upper arms, Horn held down my ankles and Crowley had both hands around my neck!

"Get off me!" I screamed!

My chest glowed to life, filling the whole room with its golden light!

All three vampires closed their eyes and turned away. Seeing this as my chance, I tried wriggling out of their grips one arm at a time! But as my mind ordered my toes and fingers to wiggle free, a prick of numbness seeped into my muscles. It swam through my veins, spreading from the top of my head too the tips of my toes until my entire body was paralyzed.

"Let me go! LET ME GOOOO!"

The glowing in my chest abruptly vanished. Shock plastered itself across my face. What was going on? Why couldn't I move and where had my holy light gone? No one should have been able to un-summon it, accept me!?

"Chess," Crowley said, "Continue to drink her blood, I don't want her trying to escape."

Understanding flickered across my eyes. The damned vampires had drained my body of blood. That's why I couldn't move my body or use my powers! The blessing of the trinity's healing abilities was slow, meaning I was stuck like this until Miss Purplette stopped draining my body of blood. Mentally, I cursed the heavens for giving me such a stupid blessing! Sure, healing was great and all. But not when it activated AFTER you stopped getting injured!?

Chess giggled with glee as the other two pulled away and returned to their activities. She leant forward and sniffed my neck, "Mmm, I think I'll start here."

As her fangs touched my skin, I screeched at the top of lungs, "DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU OLD HAG!"

The girl pulled back, highly offended.

"I am two hundred and eighteen! That makes me the youngest one here, thank you very much!" She stuck her tongue out at an unimpressed Horn before winking at her precious Lord Crowley. He raised his eyebrows at her as if to say, 'get on with your task' before turning back to the wades of paper on the desk. Taking the hint, Chess rose from the couch, brushed herself off and kneeled on the carpet directly next to the couch. With a wicked grin in her eyes and mischief playing on her lips, she grabbed my wrist and sunk in her fangs.

"STOP IT!" I cried, "You HAVE to let me GO!"

Lord Crowley chuckled, "We don't have to do anything, livestock."

"That's right!" Chess came up for air and pointed a finger at me. "We're nobles, which means we do what we want!"

This had to be a coincidence, right? The chances of finding myself in the clutches of a group of nobles who happened to be meeting up with my worst enemy were miniscule! Tiny! Impossible!

This was NOT a coincidence… Saito had to be behind it.

Desperately, I tried to shake my head, "PLEASE! Don't give me to… Fe… fer… THAT MONSTER!"

'KABOOM!'

A huge explosion blew a hole in the wall, exposing the outside! Rubble and dust sprayed everywhere, covering the desk, the couch and the floor! The shock was so strong, both Chess and I flew across the room and slammed into the back wall! Horn quickly appeared by our side, covered in rubble and dust. Together they hauled me to my feet and each wrapped an arm around my waist, hoisting me up so my feet barely touched the ground.

"What is this?" Lord Crowley stood triumphantly atop the ruins, hair and cape billowing in the wind like a superhero.

In his hand, he held some type of black and green hawk. It screeched in his grip, wriggling in a desperate attempt to break free. Horn and Chess moved to their master's side, gawking at the strange thing with childlike wonder. To my astonishment, the thing seemed to be burning the noble's hand!?

"Weird." Before my mind could think up a question, Lord Crowley threw the thing against the wall, shattering it like glass.

Luckily for me, Chess was an expert at the asking the obvious questions. "What was that wired thing just now?" she asked.

Crowley turned to us and smiled sweetly, "Seems we have a few visitors."

Visitors? As in human visitors or vampire visitors? Judging by the way all three nobles casually sat down on the rubble, they had to be human. Otherwise, they took respect lightly compared to other nobles. Sitting in between the two female vamps, a sudden thought accrued to me. If humans were attacking, did that mean that strange hawk form before was theirs? How did they learn to harness such a thing? Let alone use it as a weapon!?

"Why is there no second wave?" Horn asked. She pulled away from my side and rose to stand next to Crowley. "Do you want us to attack, my lord?"

"If we did that, then we would be playing into our enemies' hands." Crowley stood up and placed both hands on his hips, "Let's just wait patiently for a guest to arrive, ok? Besides, humans aren't stupid enough to charge into a battle they will lose. They must have another agenda up their sleeves."

Suddenly, his eyes turned on me.

"After all, Ferid wants lots of information about this battle."

If I could feel my muscle, I was sure they would have been shaking with fear! Every thought in my brain disappeared at the mention of that monster's name! Panic swelled in my heart and spilled over my instincts!

FERID WANTS ME! HE'S GOING TO KILL ME!

Tears filled my eyes as my vision began blurring into the unknown. I was going to die! Ferid was going to kill me! I HAD TO ESCAPE NOW!

"In the name of the Trinity, the Holy Chains of Elohim heal me!" The words rolled off my tongue without a second thought! Shutting my eyes, I prayed with all my might that Elohim would heal my body so I could run away! This was my only hope, no one was going to save me, but me!

Like a deus ex machina, I suddenly felt the healing warmth of my chains moving up my arms and shoulders. It moved down my fingers and spread through my chest. Then, it ran down my legs and into my toes, bringing them back to the world of the feeling! Overwhelming joy brought a smile to my lips. This was great! With every second that past, feeling returned to my limbs and filled them with the power of the Trinity! In a few more seconds, I was sure my body would be fully healed and I would be able to summon my chains again!

"Alrighty! It looks like the fun is about to begin!" Crowley announced.

Sure enough, three seconds later a human dressed in a soldier's uniform flipped into the office! He wielded a black and red sword that glowed fiercely! Almost like it was alive!?

"Die! Vampire scum!" The man vaulted into the air, swinging his sword like a maniac and charging Crowley with the speed of a cheetah.

A furious sword battle ensued! Swords flashed and metal clanged as both men circled the room. Horn instantly flickered to my side. She scooped me out of Chess's lap and threw my body over her shoulder like a ragdoll.

Suddenly, another man flew into the room! He charged straight into the fight, wielding his sniper rifle like a sword. I watched in awe as both men took turns attacking the noble! First, the black-haired man's blade would flash red as metal hit metal. Then, the silver-haired man's rifle would fire off several rounds, setting off mini explosions everywhere his bullets hit!

Praise the heavens! This my chance!

Summoning two chains, I immediately impaled both Chess and Horn. They yelled in shock, I had taken them by surprise!

"In the name of the Trinity, the Holy chains of Elohim vanquish you!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, pouring all my voice into the command.

The two disintegrated into clouds of ash.

"Why you little witch." Crowley drew his sword and with one swing, sent both soldiers crashing through the nearest wall!

Oh no, this was bad! VERY BAD! The high ranking noble stormed over to my glowing form with the crazed look of a lion hunting a sheep! Frantically, I tried aiming my two chains at the vamp's chest but he simply batted them away. My feet moved before my brain could think! They turned and ran out the nearest door, stumbled into a long corridor and ran for their lives!

My whole being pulsed with power! Light began streaming out of my chest, automatically summing my chains until at least ten mighty golden dragons danced around me, ready to fight!

Turning the corner, I ran towards a new set of double doors and stumbled in. Surveying my new surroundings, I noted that I was now in a courtroom. Old wooden pews were spread across the back third of the floor. To my right, a judge's desk and witness stand stood proudly against the ugly red carpet on the floor. A wrap-around balcony housing more rows of wooden pews clung to the walls in the shape of a 'U', much like a mesne. Glancing to my left, I saw full-length windows were stationed every few metres across the balcony.

Perfect, that would have to be my exit route.

"Where do you think you're going, Witch?"

Spinning around, I had just enough time to form a shield before Crowley struck me with his bloody sword, sending me flying into the judge's desk!

Swallowing hard, I tried taking deep breaths to slow my heart rate. If I panicked now, then all those years of experiments with Saito would have been for nothing! Come on Akane, get your head in the game! This guy couldn't kill me anyway, so what was I so afraid of? If I escaped before Ferid appeared, then my mission wouldn't be compromised. All I had to do was distract Crowley long enough to reach the exit, simple!

My chains fanned out around me, forming a hula-hoop of a barrier between myself and the vampire. For the first time, I noted the unconscious soldier slung over his shoulder like a scarf. The man groaned in pain as Crowley tossed him aside and sheathed his glowing red sword.

"Where did you gain your powers, Witch?" Lord Crowley casually sauntered down the steps and on to the main floor as if he had all the time in the world. He twirled his sword in between his fingers, daring me to attack, But I wasn't stupid, if I attacked now, he would just cut me down and I would have to start the healing process all over again! Besides, there was another human hostage I had to protect now! Who knows what the noble would do to him if I left now?!

"Why do you care? I thought all vampires were emotionless bastards!" I laced my voice with venom and practically spat that the bloodsucker.

He chuckled at my braze façade, "I am no less a monster than you are, little witch.""

'CRASH!'

The back window shattered, sending glass everywhere!

"GIVE GUREN BAAAAAAAACK!"

A teenage boy with black hair and green eyes, dressed in a military uniform, flew across the courtroom. He landed on top of the wooden pews and drew his glowing green sword.

"Ashura Canon!" The teen swung his sword over his head like he was painting an invisible rainbow of blood. As he did so, more swords fanned out above him, bursting form black and green flames to vibrate in the air. The scene was so bizarre and unexpected, I simply stood dumbfounded as the boy launched his attack.

"Attack!" He pointed at Crowley and unleashed his special move.

Who was that kid? And why did he seem so familiar?

Crowley moved to stand over the unconscious soldier while effortlessly fighting off the wild teen.

"Oh? You've gotten better," He mused.

The boy moved like a demon! Slashing and roaring, jumping off walls and flipping through the air! He wielded his sword with precision and grace, clashing with the noble's sword every few hits. He was amazing! I had no idea how this guy was single handily fighting off a high ranking noble but, he was!

"Give Guren BACK!" He roared like a ferocious beast, eyes wild, mouth snarling.

Wait a second… what was I doing? This was my chance to escape!

Quickly, I anchored several chains next to the shattered window and another around the waist of the male hostage. Next thing I knew, we were soaring across the courtroom like a pair of beautiful swans flying over the horizon. The wind whistled in my ears and the breeze brushed against my skin, covering my body in the delicate kiss of freedom.

"Oh no, you don't!" Crowley's keen gaze caught our escaping silhouettes.

As the teen charged him again, he kicked the guy in the gut, sending him flying backwards! I turned my head just in time to collide with the dude! Oh, how fate was cruel. Did every vampire noble make it their personal goal to hit me with another human being?! Was it a hobby of theirs, I wondered?

The two of us smacked into the wall and fell to the ground in a tangled mess. The other guy, Guren, fared no better. His limp body smashed through the wooden railing before dropping onto the merciless floor below.

The boy angrily turned around preparing to shove me off when our gazes met.

My heart skipped a beat!

Those eyes, that hair, his voice…

"Yuu?"

 **Cliffhanger! Sorry to do this too you all but I simply couldn't help myself! *Evil laughs* Good news is, I'm re-editing the next chapter right now and should have it finished soon**

 **Till next time xx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: RE-WRITTEN! I have re-written this chapter because I felt it could be improved, elaborated on, spruced-up a bit** **Haha**

 **Enjoy and leave a comment in the review section! Xx**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph**

I had dreamed of this moment every day for the past five years! Finally, my long-lost brother was within my grasp! We were together, literally lying in each other's arms!

A flurry of emotions washed over me. Relief, happiness, overwhelming joy! Concern… What should I say? How was he going to react? Did he even recognize me? Probably not, knowing how stupid Yuu could be. Shaking my head, I decided to forget my worries and just focus on the moment. Instinctively, my arms wrapped around my brother's waist and tears welled in my eyes.

"Yuu!" I sobbed.

My brother shifted on top of me. He twisted in my arms until we were lying face to face. Before I could think, he grabbed my shoulders and shoved me away. My grip was roughly broken and I was slammed into the wall with a 'WHACK!'

"Stay out of my way!" He growled.

His wild eyes and furious expression turned away from me. I watched, speechless as he grabbed his magic sword and jumped straight back into the chaos without a second thought.

All my hope, all my joy, all my dreams, were shattered at that moment. My last lifeline on earth hadn't recognised me!? He had given me the briefest of glances before running after a stranger!?

why? Why? WHY!

Then, like a flash of lightning, logic and reasoning snapped me out of my fantasy. Of course, Yuu hadn't recognised me. I was older now, he was seventeen and I was sixteen. We were no longer dressed like livestock and I had crazy chains that popped out of my chest. Even though my hair was the same as when we were kids, I probably looked completely different to him.

But despite my brains reasoning, it still stung to have him push me aside for a stranger. My heart refused to accept the logic! It told me Yuu was my brother so therefore, he should have recognised me. After all, it only took three seconds for me to recognise him!

Yet, he hadn't…

"GIVE GUREN BACK!" Yuu's war cry echoed across the hall.

Looking up to see him, I sat in silence as my brother attacked Lord Crowley hard and fast. The noble placed both hands on his sword and swiped left. In the blink of an eye, Yuu's sword was batted out of his hands and sent flying through the air! Everyone's eyes followed the weapon as it flew above the empty seats, arched in the air and flew straight back into Yuu's stomach, knocking him off his feet!

The fight was insane! Why was my brother trying to attack the monster? He was a human for crying out loud! Even Yuu wasn't dumb enough to fight a monster as strong as Lord Crowley! Had five years of separation from Mika and I turned him insane? Shaking my head, I tried to call out to him, to catch his attention so we could just get out of here!

But he never heard me.

"Why!" He said, falling to his knees and clenching his fists in rage. "Why aren't I strong enough to defeat him!?"

Lord Crowley laughed, dominating the court with his voice.

"Because you're human. You're nothing more than our livestock."

Anger boiled up inside me. How dare he call us livestock! Those days were behind us! Yuu and I had escaped vampire rule! We were survivors, not blood slaves! Rising to my feet, I brushed the rubble of my jacket and summoned four of my chains. Taking a deep breath, I locked my eyes on Yuu and the broken window. Judging from where I stood, my brain calculated it would take at least ten seconds for my chains to grab my brother and jump out the window. I was going to need a distraction, but how was I going find one?

Meanwhile, Lord Crowley continued his condescending spiel like the arrogant prick he was. He towered over the unconscious Guren and the angry Yuu, trapping them within his sinister shadow like flies caught in a spider's web.

"You can fight all you want, kid. But you could never defeat a noble like me." He stalked towards my brother, eyes narrowed and fangs dripping with venom.

Strange purple markings began appearing on Yuu's skin. They climbed up his neck and onto his left cheek. He clenched his teeth and growled like a rabid dog.

"That's not true," He said, gritting his teeth.

"The only reason you humans exist is to feed us at our every whim," Crowley stated his words as if they were a matter of fact. It seemed to me that he truly saw humans as nothing more than walking, talking juice boxes.

"SHUT UP!" Yuu roared with the ferocity of a dragon!

The purple markings spread up his cheek until they dominated the entire left side of his face, turning his left eye dark red!

"Yuichiro Hyakuya!" Guren's voice suddenly slammed into our ears. All eyes focused on him as he struggled to break into consciousness. He painfully crawled on to his knees to look at my brother. I grimaced at the amount of blood streaming from the hole in his shoulder. The guy should have been dead with a wound like that. Yet there he was, alive and kicking like a superhuman!? Mabey he was a superhuman?

"Hold back, you idiot! Or the demon will consume you!"

A demon? Yuu was being possessed by a demon? How was that even possible!? Oh wait... mentally I slapped myself on the forehead. If I was capable of summoning holy glowing chains from my chest at will, then surely it wasn't much of stretch to be using demons to gain strength? Was it?

"A demon, aye?" Crowley raised a single eyebrow in mock interest. "Now, who taught you how to do that? Hmmm?"

Seeing this as the best chance I was ever going to get, my brain ordered my golden chains to wrap around Yuu's body. They flew over to him and slithered around his arms and legs like snakes, safely securing him to myself.

Alright, here goes nothing!

Using my brother's body as an anchor, I reeled in my chains and soared over to him, arms wide open, ready to catch him. The strain combined with my weight caused Yuu to slide ever so slightly across the carpet. I thought this would have alerted him to my presence and our pending escape, but he was completely oblivious. His attention was focused solely on Crowley and Guren.

"Ashuramaru!" He shouted, "Give me more power!"

As my flailing body drew closer, Yuu crawled forward onto his hands and knees and began panting.

"more, More, MORE!"

Before my very eyes, I stared in horror as a young boy with flowing purple hair, black horns, fangs, pointy ears and a black and white dress materialized from the Yuu's glowing green sword. He knelt next to my brother and whispered into his ear, urging him to ask for more! My chains pulsated with power as he placed a single hand on Yuu's shoulder and began merging with him. I reached my brother just as the boy fell into Yuu's body, merging with him like a missing soul. Everyone watched in astonishment as a single black horn sprouted from the left side of his head.

" **There, now I'm stronger!"**

The voice that spoke was not my brothers. It was dark and sinister, dripping with malice and thirsty for blood. It caused a shiver to run down my spine as it filled the air with an invisible plague. Yuu's face twisted into a manic grin, showcasing his new fangs and wild red and green eyes.

Guren shouted at Yuu, begging him to not give in. But, it was too late! The strange boy had almost possessed my brother completely, turning him into a vicious monster!

My chains squeezed hard as they struggled to keep him contained.

"Please, Yuu! It's your sister, Akane Hyakuya!" Tears poured from my eyes and my body shook with fear. Every cell in my body told me to run. But I knew that if left now, I would lose my brother forever! He needed me now! I was not going to let him slip through my fingers again!

"Listen to me! You need to snap out of it!"

A dark chuckle passed his lips.

"Kisekio! Open the Devils Coffin on the count of nine!"

A tall red-haired boy dove through the broken window and landed on a wooden pew. His eyes made a beeline to the body in my arms.

"Yuu!" He cried.

The boy was dressed the same as the human soldiers outside. In his hands, he held a pair of short swords linked together with a black chain. Did he have a demon weapon too? Just how many demon weapons were there?!

Above him, a sleek black coffin materialized. The lid creaked open to reveal a set of blowing pink eyes.

" **One, two, three, four,"** A demonic voice just like Yuu's started to count.

"What's going on!" I yelled, "What is that thing and who are you?"

The redhead ignored me. Instead, he turned his attention to the single horn on my brother's head. A look of shock and disbelief clouded his face. Clearly, this was not supposed to happen.

" **Five, six, seven, eight,"** The coffin continued to count.

WHAT the heck was going on? WHO was this guy? WHAT was the thing counting down? AND HOW DID YUU NOT RECOGNIZE ME?! Argh, my brain couldn't comprehend the bizarre situation!? One minute, I was busy escaping Ferid's powerful comrade, Lord Crowley. Next minute, my arms were cradling my long lost, demon-possessed brother while two human soldiers stood, waiting for a coffin monster to count to nine!? Meanwhile, Lord Crowley just lent against the pews, twirling his sword like everything was going according to plan! What had this world come too? Was I going crazy…?

"Kimiziki!" Guren yelled through gritted teeth, "This is my final order!"

Taking a deep breath, the man burst into a coughing fit at Crowley's feet. He dropped his head between his knees and began vomiting up buckets of blood! To me, it seemed to take everything the man had to speak. His eyes were bloodshot, his nose was bleeding, bruises covered his chin and neck, and his shoulder wound was spouting blood like a mini geyser! Once again, my brain wondered how this guy was still kicking? Mabey he was fully possessed by the demon in his sword? That would explain it.

With one final glance at Yuu, Guren yelled, "Get your team out of here and complete the mission! This is my final order, escape and live!"

" **Nine."**

Suddenly, a black slug monster emerged from the coffin with lightning speed. It towered over us, casting Yuu and I in shadow as its red eyes blazed with hunger. Inching closer, it opened its mouth to reveal rows upon rows of shark teeth, all spiralling into an endless abyss. Before I knew what was happening, a scream passed my lips and the demon slug's mouth was upon us. Its jaws snapped shut, swallowing us whole and plunging us into darkness!

All around me, four walls were pressing against our bodies. My lungs gasped for air, this small, dark space was suffocating! I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, I could barely think! Yuu thrashed around wildly.

" **Release me, Kisekio!"** Yuu roared.

He thrashed around wildly in my arms, roaring like a monster.

"Yuu! Calm down, its ok! You're safe now."

My words did nothing to stop his erratic thrashing. All I could do was hold my brother tightly as he kicked at the walls and banged on the ceiling. All the while screaming for Kisekio to release him.

Very slowly, a cool wind breezed past my shoulder. A dark presence wrapped itself around us, pressing our bodies even closer together. My eyes clamped shut and I held my breath as the tiny space sapped away our body heat. My chains unwound themselves and slithered back inside my no-longer glowing chest. To my alarm, my powers were being sealed away. The dark presence was forcing my silence and reverse summoning my chains and glowing light with ease.

Next to me, Yuu's body was experiencing the same thing. He melted into my arms as the tension in his muscles washed away and warmth returned to his skin. His hand grabbed my own and squeezed

" **A…k…** a…n…e…" Yuu's pulse slowed and his breathing evened out. His head lolled against my neck and his body completely relaxed.

Overwhelming happiness flooded my system and dyed my cheeks pink. I had done it! I had finally found my brother! After five long, painstaking years away from him, the hole in my soul finally felt filled again! I couldn't help but laugh with content. My brother was safe and he had the means to kill low ranking vampires now! I couldn't even imagine how excited he must have felt when he received his demon sword! Knowing Yuu, he probably would have boasted about his abilities and showed off every chance he got.

"I promise to never leave your side again, Yuu!"

Very gently, I ran my hand through his wild black hair and pulled him closer to my chest, resting her chin on his head, "Now until the end of time."

The lid to the coffin flung opened!

Light flooded our surroundings, blinding me.

"Who are you?"

I looked up and came face to face with the red-head, Kimiziki.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

A girl with purple hair pushed the boy aside followed by another girl with blonde pigtails. They both wore the same uniform as Yuu except with mini-skirts instead of pants. They looked me up and down, concern and suspicion plaguing their faces.

Instinctively, my chains burst from my chest. They floated around us protectively, all the while pulsating with power.

"Attack formation!" The girl with purple hair jumped back, followed by her comrades. In an instant, black and green weapons were in their hands, ready to attack. My eyes widened in surprise. The soldiers all possessed demon weapons like my brother?! Just how many of those things were there anyway? Did every human soldier use a demon weapon?!

"Release our comrade now!" Purple hair shouted.

This was bad, very bad! Scanning my surroundings, I realised we were once again trapped! To our left was a dank hallway, to our right was another musty corridor. With my back to the wall and the soldiers blocking the broken windows, there was nowhere to go except up or down! DAMN IT!

"We don't have much time until vampire reinforcements get here, so I'm only going to ask One. More. Time." The purple haired girl pointed her scythe at my neck, "Release our comrade, now!"

"No way!" I yelled, "Yuu is MY brother, NOT your comrade!"

Understanding washed across their faces like a tidal wave. One by one, they lowered their weapons and put them away. I had no idea why there disarming?! Was this a trick? Some ploy to get me to lower my guard so they could take Yuu away?! I couldn't take ANY chances!

"Stay back!" Rising to my feet, my arms hauled Yuu's unconscious body over my little shoulder. My golden chains swooped in to help, wrapping themselves around Yuu and myself, securing us together as one.

"Take one step forward and I'll…I'll…" My mind went blank. What would I do? Kill them? Hurt them? Blind them? My heart refused to murder another human being... It was wrong… evil! Only vampires killed humans! But what else could I do?! Anger and frustration boiled in my chest, mixing together until my entire body was shaking with agitation.

"Calm down, Akane."

My eyes shot towards Kimiziki.

"Your name is Akane Hyaukya, right?" He spoke clearly and slowly like he was talking down a wild animal. "Listen, we're soldiers of the Moon Demon Company and that bastard is a part of our squad. So, please, either release him or come with us."

A tense silence filled the hallway. Every breath was held and every finger was crossed. No one knew what I was going to do and it showed. Taking a deep breath, my mind ran through all the possible scenarios.

One: they were lying.

Two: they were telling the truth.

Three: this was all an elaborate trap set up by Saito.

Three choices and one decision. How was I supposed to choose? Every option was bad for me. But what option was best for my brother? There was a high chance he knew them and cared for them… so maybe I could trust them? At least, just this once…?

"Okay," My mouth moved on its own, "We'll come with you."

The purple-haired girl nodded once then yelled, "Shinoa Squad move out!"

Like a pack of hungry wolves, we weaved our way through the town hall searching for our prey, the exit. Our feet pounded against the rotting lino, tearing up dust bunnies and demolishing snail trails. We ran down hallways and tripped down staircases. Every new turn we took led to another long corridor, another rickety staircase, or another empty waiting area. All the walls were whitewashed and every ceiling was overwhelmed with mould. The only noises that could be heard were our desperate footsteps and panting breaths.

"Take a left!" Kimiziki shouted.

Turning left, we burst through a set of double doors and sprinted down two flights of stairs. Reaching the bottom, the two girls ran ahead. Using their fancy scythes', they smashed through a decaying wall. Rubble and dust flew across the room, crashing into whitewashed walls and sliding across murky grey floors.

A small cough escaped my mouth as dust from the blast floated into my agape mouth. Whoever those girls really were, there was no doubt in my mind that they were strong. Mabey even strong enough to kill vampires! Pulling their scythe's back, the two girls swung one more time at the impressive hole-to-be.

'WHAM!'

The wall came crashing down and light poured in. The group ran through the make-shift exit and jumped down on to the street. The afternoon sun beat against my back, warming my clothes and drying my tears. All around us, soldiers dressed in black and green uniforms were running in groups. If I had to guess, I would say they probably groups of squads in the Moon Demon company.

"Hey!" A teen with shaggy brown hair and a trident called out to us. "Nice of you to join us. Now hurry up! We've got to get to the rendezvous point, I'm not losing anyone else today!"

The Shinoa squad melted into the massive group, becoming nothing more than faces in a crowd. No other soldier even gave my glowing chains a second glance. They probably thought I was just using a demon weapon like them…probably… Either that or this human army was super stupid to not wave me down as a threat. I was a stranger carrying one of their comrades after all. If they were like Saito's minions, we would have been hunted down, tied up and interrogated by now!

'THUMP', THUMP', THUMP!'

Suddenly, the sound of helicopter blades rang in my ears! Casting my gaze up, my eyes caught sight of a pack of vampire-run cargo-planes circling us.

This was bad! Very, very, VERY BAD! My mind flew into survival mode. I had to get Yuu out of here! Lord Crowley had said Lord Ferid was on his way… if he was on one of those planes…

My heart pounded in my chest and adrenaline rushed past my ears, drowning out the world around me. Ferid was here… he was really… here!

I dropped my head and stared at my unconscious brother. His face was serenely calm, blissfully unaware of the danger surrounding him. Tendrils of his wild black hair brushed against my shoulder as he moaned out a soft sigh.

Ferid is here! Ferid is here! FERID IS HERE, AKANE!

Biting my lips form screaming in fear, I forced my legs to run after the retreating soldiers. They may have taken my brother from me in the past. But, they were ten times safer than Lord Ferid and his goon, Lord Crowley!

Running after Shinoa's squad, we caught up just as they passed under an old highway bridge. Despite Yuu's extra weight, my body moved swiftly next to the demon enhanced humans. My golden chains glowed fiercely with every step I took, willing me to keep my brother close and the vampires far-away.

"Vampire ahead!"

The call passed through the groups like a loud game of Chinese whispers. Upon hearing the news, my shoulders tensed. Was the vampire in front of us already? But how? Turning my head back towards the council building, I saw the still rapidly approaching helicopters. They were now one hundred meters away, at best! But, no vampire soldier had arrived yet, so how was there one in front of us?

"Prepare to attack!" Poseidon guy shouted.

Kimiziki and friends turned their heads to the purple-haired girl. Then it hit me, she was obviously the leader of the Shinoa squad. She glanced ahead of the group then back at Yuu. A soft smile ghosted past her lips before she focused on me. Our eyes held each other's gaze in an intense stare off! Using my best warning face, I scowled at the girl and my chains tightened around my brother. I was NOT going to let ANYONE have him!

"Protect formation!" she said, "Protect Yuu and Akane at all costs!"

Wait… what?

Up ahead, a single vampire noble blocked our escape route. His crimson blade glinted in the falling sun, lighting it up like a red stop sign. If that wasn't a sign if I ever saw one, he also threw off his white cap and crouched to attack. Inner Akane was going berserk! 'WARNING! WARNING! This noble is going to get Yuichiro!' She screamed. The sane part of my brain shouted back, 'SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP! You're a super-powered teen with the Trinity on your side! Get it together and escape already!?'

Kimiziki nudged my shoulder, snapping me back into reality.

"Here he comes, stay focused!" He scolded.

Huh, me? Stay focused?! Kimiziki was turning out to be a complete ass. What gave him the right to criticize me when I was the one with magical powers? Just because he had a demon weapon, he suddenly thought he was all that and a bag of chips!? A silent snicker slipped past my lips. Yuu's 'comrades' sure where something else. No wonder he got along with them so well?! They were just as stupid and arrogant as him.

"ATTACK!"

With little warning, the noble vampire swung his sword! He immediately ran past the first team, sending them flying over our heads and crashing into the pavement below. I blinked once and he passed the second row of defence, sending them flying like the others!

Shinoa's squad skidded to a stop and jumped into a battle formation. Meanwhile, I stood watching with hidden awe as the vampire moved to attack the next squad. Judging from his speed alone, the noble was incredibly powerful. Mabey even stronger than Crowley and Ferid combined! He even reminded me of someone I used to know... but who?

My mind didn't have time to ponder, the noble was already fighting squad three!

The group consisted of an old dude with a pip, a red-head with punching gloves, an Asian girl wielding kunai and a strawberry blonde girl holding twin knives. They moved into attack mode flawlessly, synching with one another like a machine!

The old man made the first move.

Blowing on his pipe, he cast a giant illusion of a smoke wall! One second later, the vampire used his sword to dispel the illusion, cutting it like butter! He leapt into the air, soaring over their heads before landing in between the three girls.

"I will not let you go!" The Asian girl snarled at the vamp.

Wielding her kunai, the girl catapulted herself off the punching girls back. She launched her kunai from his right while simultaneously, the strawberry-blonde swung her knives at his left.

The noble expertly twisted out of the way, dodging the kunai and slipping past the knives. But, at the last second, he caught sight of Yuu in my arms. His face contorted into one full of rage! The wind blew through his blonde hair and his fangs glinted menacingly in the sunset. If I hadn't known he was a bloodsucker, my mind would have called him handsome…. Ahhh! Snap out of it Akane! Focus on Yuichiro, for goodness sake!

For a split second, his crystal blue eyes connected with mine.

The world around us disappeared. Looking at his ocean blue eyes, my heart filled skipped a beat. His face was stunning! Those blue eyes, that blonde hair, his snow-white skin and blood red lips… Memories of hot summer days flooded into my mind. A warm, tingling sensation swam in my stomach, filling it with butterflies and turning my instinct to goop. The teens face softened as his eyes widened with shock.

Sounds of laughing children and songs of hope and peace chorused in my ears. My own eyes widened, my thinking cogs now jumping into high gear! I knew this boy… I knew him somehow… yet, I couldn't remember exactly who he was? Damn it, what was his name!?

'BAMMM!'

His split-second delay allowed the punching girl to sucker-punch his stomach!

As if a door had been slammed in my face, I snapped back into reality. The noble skidded across the concrete, tearing his sword from his grip, leaving him defenceless.

In a flash, kunai embedded themselves into his left thigh. Strawberry-blonde dived in, swinging her knives and slicing open his stomach. Before the punching girl hit his open stomach, causing blood to spray everywhere!

Finally, the squad jumped back and circled the vampire, trapping him.

Then it hit me!

"Mika?" I shouted, "Is it really you, Michaela?"

 **Oooooh! What's gonna happen next? Hahaha I'm so mean to leave you on a cliff-hanger like this** **But I promise to post the next chapter soon** **xx**


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